Forgiveness was the dominant theme during this year’s National Prayer Breakfast meeting at Safari Park where leaders, businessmen, and politicians from all walks of life converged to pray for Kenya.
The annual ecumenical which was started in the US has been held in the country since 2003.
Lord Michael Hastings, a Father and an MP in Westminster, London, was the key note speaker at the prayer meeting.
He set the ball rolling with a powerful summon on the need for people to forgive each other and forget the past.
"The coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success," Hastings said, seemingly pointing to the need for President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition chief Raila Odinga to ensure their unity pact works.
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Hastings made reference to various renowned world leaders who embraced forgiveness and went on to become engraved in history books as the world’s greatest leaders.
Of note was the reference he made to former South African President Nelson Mandela.
"Soon after Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years of incarceration, he bore no bitterness. When he was asked why, he said I realised if I don’t forgive my enemies, I would still be in prison".
Raila said Mandela and President Frederik De Klerk as well as Israeli Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shook hands despite the bitter rivalry and hatred that existed between them during their time.
He said in light of this, there was no reason why he and Uhuru could not shake hands.
"So I said, if Rabin and Arafat could shake hands; Mandela and De Clerk could shake hands, what is wrong with Raila Odinga shaking hands with Uhuru Kenyatta?"
He said after the handshake, things started changing in the country. The shilling stabilized, the stock market steadied and generally peace returned in the country.
Raila, albeit jokingly, said the handshake even went international and influenced the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in.
The meeting made world history as it was the first time leaders from the rival hostile neighboring countries saw each other face-to-face in 60 years.
The Opposition chief said that Kenya was a lovely country so much that if he were to die and God asked him where he wished to go, he would ask to be taken back to Kenya.
Raila said the ongoing fight against corruption has the full backing of the opposition.
He expressed confidence that with the will of every Kenyan, the fight against the scourge would be won.
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Chief Justice David Maraga said the Judiciary is fully committed to supporting the fight against corruption.
"Your Excellency the President, we know you have declared war on corruption. You can count on the Judiciary; we are together on fighting corruption."
In an apparent reference to the Executive’s past incidents of disobeying court orders, the CJ called on every Kenyan to uphold the rule of law.
"What is important is that we uphold the Constitution," he said.
Uhuru called on Kenyans to turn to God and pray for the healing of the country.
He said that all it takes is willingness from each and everyone to embrace unity by forgiving their neighbour.
"There is no doubt that with willingness, nothing is impossible and I have no doubt there is willingness. As we sit here in the morning, let us repent, let us forgive one another. Let us not see each other as enemies."
Uhuru said in a democracy like Kenya, it is normal for people to disagree, but the disagreements should not lead to bloodshed, misery and destruction of property.
He said: "There are things, regardless of varying political ideologies, that as a country we can’t disagree on."
He cited the provision of universal health and cheap housing as examples.
"Let us not see forgiveness as a weakness. It’s a sign of great strength," Uhuru said, reiterating his calls that the fight against corruption should not be ethnicised.
"A thief is a thief, he is not a Luo, he is not a Kikuyu, he is not a Kalalenjin, he has a name."
Uhuru once again asked for forgiveness from anyone he may have harmed in any way.
The first time he did that was during his State of the Nation address on May 2.
He said the handshake must cascade to the grassroots and called on the leaders to embark on the mission to preach peace.
Wiper leader Kalonzo praised the unity deal between Uhuru and Raila saying it had even moved from a mere handshake to a hug.
"Today we are moving from the handshake to the hug. How beautiful would that be if it was to take place in every village? People are still hurting, so let’s move this to everyone."
Uhuru and Raila embraced each other when they met before the beginning of the prayer meeting.
DP William Ruto said that the prayer meeting was special in different ways for it had taken the handshake beyond just two individuals.
"We have today graduated the handshake to the hug. It was good to contextualise. God has a way of enriching the wisdom of our leadership to put aside the things that divide us because we have many things that put us together," Ruto said.
He said Kenya has indeed made long strides towards achieving national unity in regards to what it went through in the past, especially after the 2007 post election violence.
"God in his own way did not just give us the unity that we sought but he gave us more. Today, what the President and what the Rt Honorable Raila did, I’m confident that this country is going to go places," Ruto said.
He said that on the basis of the unity of the leaders in the country, the fight against corruption will succeed by way of every quarter forging a commitment to safeguard public resources.
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed called for continued cooperation between Kenya and Somalia to fight the al Shabaab who he termed as enemies of all human kind.
"They claim they are fighting non Muslims, but they killed Muslims in Somalia and elsewhere. We have to understand that al Shabaab is our common enemy and the enemy of all human kind. We need to be open-minded and understand that we are in this together," he said.