Call off rally, Gitari urges Church leaders

By Munene Kamau

Retired Anglican Church Archbishop David Gitari has urged Church leaders to call off their ‘No’ campaign on the Proposed Constitution.

Gitari said such prayer meetings are likely to heighten tension, adding the meeting should not be held at this time, as it would divide the flock.

He said the Church should instead be pushing for reconciliation.

Addressing a press conference at his rural home at Difatha, Embu, on Friday, Gitari said such a launch by Church leaders would exclude Christians who support the draft.

He said a public prayer meeting should not be convened to push for a divisive political agenda.

"In case the ‘Yes’ campaign receives overwhelming support during the referendum, it would then appear that God hears the politicians more than the current Church leaders," he said.

Gitari said it would have been better if the conveners of today’s meeting do not launch a ‘No’ campaign but pray and seek God’s intervention for the welfare and peace of the nation before and after the referendum.

He expressed fears the ‘Yes’ campaigners could mobilise youth and other idlers to attend the meeting to shout down Church leaders.

But in a swift rejoinder, Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi dismissed Gitari, saying the retired cleric was pushing a ‘foreign agenda’.

Linturi asked Gitari to respect the opinion of the ‘No’ team, reminding him that his time in Church leadership was over after he handed over the baton to Benjamin Nzimbi, who has also retired.