Clergy misunderstood me on marijuana take- Prof George Wajackoyah

Roots Party Presidential Candidate George Wajackoya during an interview with The Standard. [Samson Wire, Standard]

Roots Party presidential candidate George Wajackoyah has hit back at clergy who criticised his stand on the commercialisation of marijuana.

Wajackoyah, in an interview with Spice FM Tuesday, said his words were taken out of context, and that he was not promoting the legalisation of the herb, but its produce and sale.

“The church misunderstood me. I all along meant to promote marijuana for commercial purposes and not its legalisation. I myself have never smoked bhang,” he said.

He took a swipe at a section of the clergy calling them “ignorant” over their refusal to move with the times.

“The world has moved very fast and I know the clergy is looking at me…although some of these church leaders are themselves very ignorant.”

The lawyer had in a previous interview said that if elected, he would promote the export of the herb by capitalising on the industry's lofty market valuations, to offset some of Kenya’s external debt.

Wajackoyah was responding to a statement by Catholic Bishops on Sunday who shunned his bhang manifesto, claiming it would break the moral and social fabric of the country.

 “Let us keep this in mind that for a nation to thrive, it must be founded on ethical and moral grounds,” Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria said.

The 2022 presidential hopeful also maintains that he wants to be an economic dictator for corruption should he be elected.

“We shall seek legislation of the death penalty to hang anyone who has stolen public funds.”

“People that steal huge sums of money deserve nothing but death. There will be no room for corruption in my administration,” said Wajackoyah.

Wajackoyah is among four candidates seeking the country’s top seat in the August 9 General Election. His running mate is Justina Wangui.