Politicians, clerics now differ over ICC prayer meetings

Political and religious leaders are sharply divided over what the on-going prayer meetings for Deputy President William Ruto and former journalist Joshua Arap Sang will achieve.

The meetings, which were first conducted to seek divine intervention for the two who are facing crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), started as a ‘Kalenjin only’ meeting at a shrine in Kuresoi.

Mt Kenya politicians and other Jubilee supporters soon joined to offer their solidarity with Ruto.

But some MPs have used the platform to attack Opposition leaders, claiming that they fixed President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto, Sang and others who have been acquitted by The Hague based court.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter has termed the prayer meetings misguided and intent to polarise the nation.

Ruto fixing

“After the Kiptororo prayer meetings, I stopped attending the others because they have become forums for politicians to assassinate others’ characters and there is little time, if any, dedicated to genuine prayer. These are political rallies disguised as prayers,” said Mr Keter.

But Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen said the prayers are genuine and are yielding results. “On our third prayer meeting, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria decided to open up. Its one of the miracles of our prayers,” said Mr Bowen.

Jubilee MPs have challenged CORD leader Raila Odinga to come clean on what he knows about the alleged “procurement” of witnesses against Ruto.

In the most recent prayer meeting at Kabartonjo in Baringo County, close to 100 legislators put the former PM to task over the Ruto ‘fixing’ and asked him — alongside Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o and Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua — to record statements on what they know about the Ruto-Sang cases.

The three opposition politicians have however denied claims by Kuria that they played part in Ruto ‘fixing’ saga.

On Tuesday, Raila challenged President Kenyatta to tell Kenyans his role in the alleged fixing of his deputy at the ICC.

He dismissed Kuria’s claims, saying: “Kuria worked for Uhuru Kenyatta from 2008.... This is the period when, by Kuria’s own admission, witnesses were being procured against Mr Ruto.” But Kericho Senator Charles Keter, who is the chairman of the prayer meetings, has described the Gatundu MP as a hero, saying he has disclosed all he knows about the case.

“Those mentioned as ‘Ruto fixers’ should confess so that the nation prays for them as well,” Mr Keter said.

The prayer meetings have also exposed the simmering differences between TNA and URP.

Political insults

 

The Ruiru meeting ended acrimoniously when URP politicians left, claiming they were not given an opportunity to “pray” following a clash between supporters of the Governor William Kabogo and his political rival, Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu.

“What happened here today lends credibility to our fears that TNA is not serious in its support for Ruto and Sang with regard to ICC. If TNA was serious, we would not have witnessed what happened here today,” said Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago.

Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo, a strong supporter of Raila, said the prayers were polarising the country and are a platform for Jubilee leaders to insult the Opposition.

“They purport to hold prayers, but in the real sense, they are in political rallies where they start and end with insults directed on Raila,” said Ms Odhiambo.

Bishop Cornelius Korir of Eldoret Catholic Diocese was categorical that politics and prayers cannot mix.

“Prayers and politics are like water and oil. They don’t mix. If any of those leaders were indeed serious in praying for the two, then they could have held the prayer meetings in their respective churches and not political gatherings,” said Bishop Korir.

But Reverend Peter Karanja, the NCCK Secretary General, said there is nothing wrong with prayers. He, however, asked the politicians to spend more time on prayer.