President Uhuru Kenyatta (in blue coat) reads a peace pledge during a prayer rally at Uhuru Park, Nairobi on Friday. His close competitor Raila Odinga didn't attend even after promising to attend. [Photo: PSCU]
NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga was conspicuously missing at the Uhuru Park peace prayers convened on Friday ahead of the August 8 General Election.
This is despite on Tuesday Raila confirming to the media at NASA’s Okoa Kenya offices in Nairobi that he would attend the Uhuru Park prayers with his co-principals before proceeding for a Saba Saba rally at Kamukunji Grounds late in the afternoon.
“Time for change has come and is now. This is a peaceful revolution. August 8 will be the beginning. Friday, July 7 we will hold Saba Saba prayers at Uhuru Park and thereafter hold a rally at Kamukunji Grounds then wait for August 8 when Kenyans will have a date with Jubilee,” Raila said.
His last minute failure to appear for the peace prayers that his main competitor President Uhuru Kenyatta attended, has elicited more questions than answers.
Is Raila really committed to a peaceful election? Will he concede if defeated for the fourth time? Or his failure to appear for the prayers was a confirmation of Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi's assertions that Raila isn't a known church-goer and is only doing it nowadays because he has often been accused of witchcraft?
Well, his campaign committee has indicated that Raila and his team decided to convene their own prayer meeting.
“The NASA presidential candidate and his co-principals will take part in a prayer service today [yesterday] at the Okoa Kenya offices ahead of the Saba Saba rally at Kamukunji,” read a statement by NASA presidential campaign communication director Kathleen Openda sent to the media.
The team, however, did not reveal why Raila and his co-principals decided to give the clergies’ prayer meeting organised by the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya a wide berth.
During the event, Uhuru in reciting a peace declaration said: “I being a Kenyan citizen do hereby pledge to be a peaceful person, to promote and maintain peace during the campaigns, the elections and after the elections. I will use all the power at my disposal to ensure that true peace reigns in this nation. Help me God to fulfill this solemn vow."