Stop the hypocrisy, MPs told

President Kenyatta Thursday questioned MPs’ commitment to fighting insecurity, saying some may not be sincere in their peace calls in public forums.

The President said there would be no inter-ethnic conflicts if the leaders were genuine in their utterances in public forums such as the annual national prayer meetings.

Speaking during this year’s National Prayer Breakfast organised by Parliament, the President said leaders should stop preaching water and taking wine.

Without naming anyone, he said some leaders had not been doing what they tell the public, instead doing the opposite.

“Are you sincere about what you say when you stand on this podium? Is that what you say when you go back to your community? If what you say here is the same there then there should be no inter-ethnic conflicts in this country,” he said during the prayer meeting at Safari Park Hotel.

He went on: “Why should there be ethnic conflicts if leaders do what they tell us in podiums like this, or in Parliament and in newspapers? The issue today is for each one of us to ask ourselves that question. Do what is right and let us make this country great.”

SUMMONED

Recently, MPs and a senator from Turkana, Samburu and West Pokot were summoned by the Director of Criminal Investigations over the incessant conflicts among the local communities in the three counties.

They were questioned on the deadly attacks at Nadome, on the border of Baringo and Turkana counties that resulted in the deaths of 50 people.
Deputy President William Ruto said terrorism had not succeeded in dividing Kenyans despite the attacks intensifying lately.

“It has not achieved the division between brother and brother, Christian and Muslim that it intends to do. We need to thank God that we are still one united country,” said Mr Ruto.

Mr Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Econet Wireless Group and Zimbabwe’s richest man as per Forbes’ 2014 list, was the guest speaker at the breakfast prayer meeting.

Mr Masiyiwa said the biggest challenge facing most countries in Africa was divisive politics and civil wars.

“Africa is a continent of extra-ordinary potential. Some of the fastest growing economies in the world are now African. Africa is a giant waiting to be awaken, but to do that, we kick the elephant out of the room. That elephant is intolerance, it is injustice to our neighbour. We have to live with our neighbour,” he said.

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan moved the meeting when he talked about his recovery from a blast that fractured his legs in 2012.
“I was full of rage, bitterness and burning desire to revenge but I must say I found the power to forgive and move on and I got healed,” he said.