Shakahola annex - Raila says State House officials are forced to fast on Wednesdays

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has maintained that the planned Azimio La Umoja One Kenya demonstrations will proceed on Tuesday as planned, adding that they will kick off at 6:00 am.

He dismissed claims that Azimio supporters are responsible for the destruction of property, insisting that public demonstrations are protected by the law.

Accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of stifling freedom in the country, the Azimio leader added that the attempts to suppress the Opposition’s protests amount to dictatorship

"Police cannot decide in advance that there shall be violence and then proceed to ban political activities that are protected by the Constitution. This is the making of a dictatorship. It amounts to a suspension of the Constitution," he stated.

Azimio leader Raila Odinga Pulse Live Kenya

Raila implicates State House in Shakahola massacre

In the statement on Monday, shortly after President William Ruto’s Labour Day speech, Odinga insisted that the government was complicit in the Shakahola massacre.

Stating that Ruto's administration has been closely linked to the preachers who are being investigated for cult practices in Kilifi County, Raila pointed out that the controversial fasting practice is in force within State House.

"These cultic pastors were among the people who supposedly sanctified State House when Ruto arrived there, pretending to be holier than every other Kenyan.

"These so-called pastors aided the introduction of mandatory fasting that started in 2015 at the DP's residence in Karen and which have been carried over to State House where everyone is compelled to fast every Wednesday regardless of their faith, effectively making State House essentially a Shakahola annex," Raila stated.

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Raila went on to challenge a previous assertion by First Lady Rachel Ruto, where she claimed to have prayed over a borehole in Karen and purified the water from it.

"We see no difference between this [First Lady's] claim and the outrageous ones made by cult pastors like performing fake miracles and extorting money from believers with calls like 'Tuma Mbegu Ya 310' or fast until you meet Christ.

"Ruto is the leader of the cult movement disguised as Christianity in Kenya. Ruto, Gachagua and their families must tell Kenyans when and how they knew these cult leaders and what they knew about them," Raila remarked.

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The ODM party leader went on to demand that President Ruto distinguish between State and religion going forward.