Raila tells off Church over call for elections

By Standard Team

The Prime Minister Raila Odinga has criticised the Church over its attack on the Grand Coalition Government.

At the same time, Muslims have differed with the National Council of Churches of Kenya over calls for fresh elections.

Raila dismissed the NCCK’s remarks as hypocritical and misplaced. "We should ask them (clergy) where were they when Kenyan needed them most at the height of post-election violence" Raila said.

He said that this was not the time for the spiritual leaders to start inciting the people, to demand a fresh election.

Speaking at a reception party for Martin Luther King Junior at Serena Hotel, Nairobi, Raila said that the country couldn’t go through an election. "The problems we are facing is due to a badly managed election. Do we have a proper electoral body that can take us through elections and avoid what we witnessed last year?" he said.

The PM defended the coalition, saying it had achieved a lot against many odds.

And the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya and the Supreme Council of Kenya (Supkem) Coast branch, in separate statements, said Kenyans were not prepared for fresh polls.

"If we hold elections today, this country will go up in flames again. We are just from a terrible period and the reasons why people fought is yet to be addressed," said Sheikh Juma Ngao.

Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa, CIPK organising secretary, added: "Some Kenyans are still in IDP camps. They are yet to be resettled and calling for elections is making them suffer more."

On Wednesday, NCCK warned it would push for fresh elections terming President Kibaki ‘moribund’ and PM Raila Odinga ‘ineffective’.

Elsewhere, Speaker Kenneth Marende said the law was clear on when elections can be called and the church could not purport to be playing that role.