Uhuru to join DP Ruto, Raila for national prayer breakfast

President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga are tomorrow expected to share the dais at the 19th national prayer breakfast in Nairobi.

The theme of this year’s prayer breakfast is ‘transition’ which comes just 74 days before the country goes for a General Election that will see Kenyans elect their fifth president.

In a bid to minimise politics at the event, Parliament which normally takes charge of everything at the event has abdicated the duty to the clergy who will also be in charge of delivering the keynote address.

The co-chair of the event, Makueni MP Dan Maanzo, yesterday told the Nation that they don’t expect politics since the country is facing an election and only expect messages of unity from the speakers.

He confirmed that both the Deputy President and Mr Odinga have been invited and they expect the leaders to attend.

“We have invited everyone, the Deputy President, Mr Odinga and even the Chief Justice. It is now upon them to choose to attend or not. It is only Kalonzo that we know is not in the country and therefore will not attend but the rest we expect at Safari Park,” Mr Maanzo said.

“We also have guests from Uganda, Tanzania and Congo and therefore we don’t expect politics at the event. That is why even parliament will not have a major role tomorrow (today) as the clergy will be fully in charge,” Mr Maanzo added.

Political leaders have always used the event to throw political jibes at each other in a joking manner to the laughter of attendants.

It would therefore be difficult for today’s event to be different, especially at a time the country is politically charged ahead of the August polls.

Among the clergy that will deliver the keynote address in terms include the Anglican Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, immediate presiding Bishop of Christ is the Answer Ministry (CITAM) Bishop David Oginde, Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria, Sheikh Abdalla among others.

“This is a National prayer breakfast, so leaders of all denominations have been invited and they will coordinate themselves and speak in terns because we don’t have a guest speaker from outside the country this time,” Mr Manzo said.

“Our theme for this year is transition and is in line with what as a country we are going through. We are just about to go to elections where we will transit to a new government and leadership,” He added.

Last year, the event was held at Parliament Buildings with only invited guests allowed to attend as the country was still reeling from the effects of Covid-19 pandemic.

High Court advocate Peter Waiyaki was the guest speaker last year and he did not mince his words when all the powerful leaders including President Kenyatta sat pensively to listen to him.

He accused the political class of plunging the country into unprecedented levels of corruption, hopelessness, ethnicity, tribalism and abject poverty.