Clergy vow to advise faithful against draft

By Lucianne Limo

Religious leaders have issued fresh threats to rally Christians to reject the Proposed Constitution if the Kadhi’s courts and abortion are not expressly outlawed.

National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) General Secretary the Reverend Canon Peter Karanja said: "We meet Christians every week and we will tell them we have been betrayed by review organs and politicians and that we have to continue to search for a constitution that has interest and recognition of the Church".

He said the Church would also ask faithful to reject the current political class if they ignore their demands.

Karanja recalled that in the 2005 Referendum, the Church advised its congregation to vote using their conscience.

"That will not happen this time. The Church will not take a neutral position. The Church will vote based on issues of cardinal concern to Christians," he said yesterday.

Karanja raised concern that the many amendments proposed on the draft in Parliament indicated that consensus had not been reached.

"All possible avenues for consensus building by the organs of review should be exhausted before we go to the referendum," said Karanja at a press conference at Jumuia Conference Centre, Limuru.

He defended the Church’s adamant stand against entrenching Kadhi’s court in the Constitution, saying it was neither a religious nor theological contest, as the law should provide equal status to all religions.