Raila to clergy: Always speak truth to power

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has challenged members of the clergy to make their voices heard and not to be silent when things are going wrong in the country.

“I call upon the Church to remain true to the spirit of liberation. The church must speak the WORD of God; they must stand firm with the children of God and not worship temporal power,” he said

Raila who was attending the burial ceremony of former Cabinet Minister Maina Wanjigi in Nyeri said the clerics wield influence and occupy a key place in nation-building.

Citing the recent mass demonstrations staged by young Kenyans who protested proposed new tax measures, the former PM said the church ought to have made its made its position clear from the beginning. By doing so, Raila says clerics will ensure good governance prevails in the country.

“The church should sympathize and stand on the side of the people of this country. They should speak truth to power. If things go wrong, speak truth to power. When children of this country come out to say something is wrong, the church should stand with these children,” he said

He said this while also reiterating the need to hold a national conversation about issues currently affecting the country.

“What this country requires is a serious dialogue, a comprehensive dialogue, that will be able to fix all the things that have gone wrong. We have to deal with issues of unemployment of our youth, corruption, ethnicity, nepotism, and issues of exclusion. These are the issues we need to address,” he said

The opposition leader said addressing corruption should top the agenda of the national dialogue given the damage it has caused the country over the years,

“If you are talking about fighting corruption, first address the issue of corruption within civil service. Civil servants should not become businessmen. They can either choose to be businessmen or become civil servants,” he stated

At the same time, Raila reiterated that “Police should not use brutality against unarmed innocent people who are demonstrating for their rights,”