Churches threaten to oppose BBI for failing to capture their interests

The simmering rebellion against the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) continues to gain momentum with a section of church leaders vowing to oppose it on grounds that their proposals were not considered.

Clergymen, speaking under the aegis of Kenya Council of Church Alliances and Ministries, hit out at BBI and maintained that none of their proposals had been captured in the final report.

 Led by Redeemed Gospel Church presiding Bishop Kepha Omae, the clerics yesterday said it was unfortunate that despite raising  pertinent issues to the taskforce, none of their concerns had been captured in it. 

They said, for instance, legalisation on abortion and homosexuality have not been captured in the report.

Last census

“We are of the view that the task force deliberately took the Church for granted.

But let it be made clear that as per the last census, we have a representation of 82 per cent and we have the ability and the capacity to rally ourselves to mobilise and have candidates who will carry the interests of the Church in every constituency,” he  said.

 Clerics are now demanding  audience with President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Hand shake partner Raila Odinga to air their grievances.

 “We welcome the optimism from the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who in a meeting with pastoralists communities declared that the report will be open for dialogue and have proposals of all Kenyans taken into account before document can be  subjected to  a referendum,” said Omae.

 Church leaders want the Judiciary and National Police Service left to operate independently without the establishment of the Ombudsman and a council respectively.