Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has criticised President William Ruto's announcement to lead the country for a prayer service on Tuesday.
The MP says the service which will be held at Nyayo Stadium over drought and hunger, will be meaningless unless the government puts into action ways of eradicating hunger.
"Prayer without action is meaningless. Prayer to make a show of how much you care without action is a sin. Period," Babu said.
The outspoken MP interpreted the prayer service as an act of hypocrisy, considering that more than four million people are in need of humanitarian aid following the ongoing drought.
"How dare they use the sacred act of prayer to put on a mantle of caring when the gut-wrenching grief of families and communities continues day in and day out?" he posed.
Speaking on Sunday during an interdenominational service in Nakuru, Ruto said Tuesday's prayers will focus on rain and for God to watch over Kenya.
"For those who will not be able to make it to Nyayo Stadium, have services anywhere and pray for the country," he said.
The President also said his government has set aside seeds and fertilisers for agriculture, but all plans cannot go well if God doesn't provide rain.
"We need God in order to move forward," Ruto affirmed.
The prayers, the President added, will be held between 8 am and 4 pm and religious leaders are also expected to attend.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Friday said the government has committed to increasing land under irrigation from the current 670,000 acres to three million acres to guarantee food security.
Speaking at a launch of the Global Hunger Index Report, Mudavadi invited public-private partnerships to realise the goal.
"I, therefore, invite the private sector to partner with the government in ensuring we move the country from dependency on rain-fed agriculture and vulnerability to drought and the effects of climate change," he said.
Counties in the drought alarm phase are Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, Isiolo, Laikipia, Garissa, Tana River, Mandera, Wajir, Kitui and Kajiado.
