Azimio Principals led by Raila Odinga on Tuesday turned down an invitation from the state to attend tomorrow’s prayer breakfast set to be held at the Safari Park Hotel.
The Annual National Prayer Breakfast staged at the Safari Park Hotel has been a tradition since the days of the late President Emilio Mwai Kibaki. It brings together national leaders in offering supplication for the sins of the nation. Religious leaders have lately benefitted heavily from the annual event as it’s normally followed by a banquet at the State House and opportunities to get up close to the Head of State.
Even at the time when the fallout between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto appeared irreconcilably the two still buried the hatchet and appeared together on the podium during the national prayer breakfast.
This time round Raila Odinga says the environment is not conducive to such pretenses.
“If past events where we have shared platforms with Kenya Kwanza are to serve as a guide, Azimio is convinced that the National Prayer Breakfast does not offer the environment the country needs. Instead, the event will dishonor God and country with a display of arrogance, superiority battles, false hopes for citizens, and vitriolic post-event mischaracterization and misinterpretation of intentions by well-known Kenya Kwanza leaders. We have therefore declined the invitation to the breakfast,” said the Azimio Principals in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon.
(Top): religious leaders often make a financial kill out of the national prayer breakfast while (bottom) shows of reconciliation and brotherhood have been displayed at the prayer breakfast, though fleetingly.
They however made it clear that Azimio legislators were free to attend if they so wish.
by: dalanews.co.ke