• Chege said the plans were hatched during a meeting between the deputy president and Murang'a MPs in July last year.
• They were to incorporate the President and were initially to be held in Statehouse but were postponed.
Image: ALICE WAITHERA
The much-publicised Murang'a prayers were cancelled because they were politicised, Woman Rep Sabina Chege has said.
The prayers were scheduled for Saturday. The cancellation was the second in a month.
Sabina said bishops are back to the drawing board to ensure that the event will be purely a prayer affair.
She said the prayers were planned last year at a meeting of leaders and bishops and blamed the cancellation on Kieleweke and Tangatanga groups.
"We are now hearing things in the media like it will be a meeting for Kieleweke or Tangatanga to make certain political pronouncements. It is wrong to politicise prayers,"Sabina told women's groups in Kandara on Saturday.
She said they met bishops who thought it would be a good idea to hold prayers to accommodate both the President and the Deputy President. The initial plan was to have the prayers with the President in State House.
The prayers were earlier scheduled for April 27 but were postponed to May 11.
Leaders planned the meeting during Easter at Kimorori grounds in Murang’a. At the time DP William Ruto said he would not attend because he would be at the burial of retired President Daniel arap Moi's son Jonathan.
“We have seen so many things being reported in the media. I must say it is very wrong to politicise prayers,” Sabina said.
She said because of politics, some bishops had pulled out.
"Some people started saying they were planning to send a message to the President or make a declaration. These were lies."
The legislator said there has been heightened politicking in central Kenya and that the issues that have cropped up necessitated the postponement to give bishops time to plan afresh. They want to just pray for the President and the DP.
“Prayers are normal. Every Sunday, Kenyans go to church because we are a prayerful nation. Let’s not read too much into the prayers. Bishops will say when they are ready," she said.
The rep asked Murang’a leaders to inspire unity in central Kenya.
She regretted that the focus has been on Kieleweke and Tanga Tanga issues even as other regions worked together.
“As leaders, we need to stop unnecessary competitions and politics. We were elected to serve Kenyans and that is what they will consider in 2022 not how much one talks on the media.”
Sabina urged leaders to reduce the number of political rallies and condemned her Kiambu counterpart Gathoni wa Muchomba for saying that there were plans by central leaders to impeach the President.
“Those are lies and she should go to church and repent. We are the President’s battalion. I’d never be part of such a thing. I’d even rather miss Parliament than be part of those heckling him.
“All this pointless propaganda should stop. When people go to church, let them go to worship or talk development,” she said.
She called on the clergy to bar leaders who spread disunity from their pulpits.
Bishop Stephen Maina, the prayers main organiser, said besides praying, the bishops were to launch their sacco whose plan started in 2015.
Anglican Bishop Timothy Gichere and his Catholic counterpart James Wainaina distanced themselves from the event.