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Amid political crisis, President Kenyatta asks Kenyans to pray for country

uhuru kenyatta

President Uhuru Kenyatta will address Kenyan workers today as they mark the Labour Day. FILE PHOTO | NMG

President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Kenyans to pray for the country as it prepares to hold the presidential elections on October 26.

Speaking on Wednesday hours after electoral agency commissioner Roselyn Akombe resigned, blaming irreconcilable divisions in the commission, President Kenyatta asked religious leaders to lead Kenya in the national prayer period.

This, he said, will culminate in a National Prayer Day on Sunday.

“The path since the Supreme Court decision has not been easy for our country, but we thank God for seeing us through.

"Now, as we walk towards the 26th of October, as a God-fearing people, we beckon our God to give us divine guidance to fulfill our constitutional mandate, and we will,” President Kenyatta told journalists at State House, Nairobi.

After consultations with religious leaders, I have reached this decision to call on all Kenyans to pray for their country in their mosques, temples and churches, culminating in a National Day of Prayer on Sunday 22nd october, 2017,” he said.

The Supreme Court annulled results of the August 8 polls citing irregularities and called for fresh elections to be conducted within 60 that are set to lapse on October 31.

Following the ruling, the country has experienced a political crisis, street demos calling for resignation of officials of the electoral body and loss of lives.

President Kenyatta noted that the politics of the day will pass and that Kenyans should strive to protect the nation and keep it from harm.

“On that day we will be asking for God’s blessing for our nation: we will also ask God to abide with us, and to guide us, both in this period, and in time to come,” he said.

60 days

The Chief Justice David Maraga-led Supreme Court on September 1 nullified the August 8 elections and ordered a fresh election within 60 days.

But between then and now, his main challenger Raila Odinga has withdrawn, demanded a new poll 90 days after fresh nominations, and the Mr Odinga-led National Super Alliance (Nasa) coalition has held demonstrations to demand for electoral reforms before any election can take place.

The demonstrations and anger against the commission, has taken the shape of some electoral officials being forcefully removed from training sessions in Nasa strongholds.

The push-and-pull, with a commission that is heavily divided along the political lines, came to its climax Wednesday morning when IEBC commissioner Dr Akombe fled Kenya to New York where she sent a statement, announcing her resignation.

But in the State House press conference, President Kenyatta, who did not take questions from reporters, avoided the subject, but said that the election will go on, on October 26 as scheduled.

But before then, he said, Kenya needed to pray for each other.

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God's blessings

“On that day (Sunday) we will be asking for God’s blessings for our nation: we will also ask God to abide with us, and to guide us, both in this period, and in time to come. We will pray for our leaders: that they may be granted wisdom, humility, and that they may love peace and justice,” President Kenyatta said.

He went on: “We will also pray for each other: for if your brother or sister asks you forgiveness, do not withhold it. For the truth is that the politics of the day is fleeting, but this nation, under God’s care, endures. We cannot let what is fleeting sully what is permanent.”

The Head of State quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14, asking Kenyans to take up the offer by God to go “humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways” after which, the verse says, the Lord “will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

“God has lifted this country before. He will do so again,” President Kenyatta said.