• They said the Kenya Kwanza government is not being frank about the challenges currently facing the country.
• The outfit, however, said Azimio members of Parliament are free to attend the prayer service.
Image: RAILA ODINGA/TWITTER
The Azimio leadership says it will skip Wednesday's national prayer meeting at the Safari Park Hotel citing lack of honesty.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Opposition outfit said the prevailing circumstances in the country require its people to approach God with humility and speak to Kenyans truthfully about the issues facing the country.
This, they said, is lacking from the Kenya Kwanza government which they say is not being frank about the challenges currently facing the country.
"If past events where we have shared platforms with Kenya Kwanza are to serve as a guide, Azimio is convinced that the National Prayer Breakfast does not offer the environment the country needs for humility before God, honesty with citizens and respect between leaders," Azimio said.
"Instead, the event will dishonour God and country with displays of arrogance, superiority battles, false hopes to citizens and vitriolic post even mischaracterisation and misinterpretation of intensions by well-known Kenya Kwanza leaders. We are therefore declining the invitation to the breakfast," the group said.
The outfit, however, said Azimio members of Parliament are free to attend the prayer service.
The National Prayer Breakfast was supposed to be held on May 31 but was rescheduled to June 7 in what National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said was occasioned by factors beyond control.
The event is aimed at helping unite the country by bringing together leaders from diverse sectors of society and fostering an inclusive environment where they can unite in prayer for the nation's welfare.
It prayer service comes at a time the government and the opposition Azimio are embroiled in a tussle over four issues the Raila Odinga-led alliance says the Kenya Kwanza side has shown no will to resolve.
These include the lowering of the cost of living, opening of the IEBC servers, reconstitution of the electoral commission and noninterference with the autonomy of opposition parties.
Government's intention to enact tax amendments via the Finance Bill 2023 has further strained relations between the two sides amid stalled bipartisan talks which were aimed at resolving the four substantive issues.
Azimio has called for total withdrawal of the Bill saying the proposed tax measures will strain an already overtaxed population that is currently grappling with high cost of living.
"We shall give our supporters direction on the Finance Bill 2023 on Thursday this week. But our position remains clear that our Members of the National Assembly should oppose this bill when it is brought on the floor of the House for the second reading,” Raila said during a press conference on Tuesday.
The Bill will be tabled for its second reading on Thursday.