President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga both attended the Akurino church’s 100th anniversary, where the head of state dangled baskets of goodies in commemoration of the church’s centenary.
The conference, which marked the church’s 100th anniversary in Kenya, drew thousands of Akurino believers.
50 days before the election on August 9th, the religious event was infused with considerable political implications.
President Kenyatta began by unpacking a package of goodies that included government jobs, a ten-million-shilling personal donation to the church, and a 100-million-shilling piece of land in Naivasha.
The president, who avoided direct succession politics, appeared to rally the Akurino church behind the Raila-Karua ticket.
The Head of State also urged school principals to allow Akurino students to wear turbans during the gathering.
According to the Head of State, the Constitution guarantees all Kenyans the right to worship wherever they are.
“Every religion has its doctrines, our Muslim brothers and sisters go wherever they want in their hijabs and nobody questions them. The Sikh wear their turbans in schools, churches and businessess and no one questions them.
“I want to reiterate, more so to our school principals who are still discriminating the Akurinu because of their turbans, that is not right. There is no law that bars anyone from identifying themselves by their religion,” Uhuru said.
