Jubilee and Cord politicians are headed for a clash at Uhuru Park as opposition leader Raila Odinga reiterated his coalition will be preaching peace, love and unity at a parallel Madaraka Day rally there on Wednesday.
This debate and fight for occupation of Uhuru Park seems to have intensified after the opposition, CORD, their Madaraka Day celebrations at Uhuru Park will proceed on Wednesday, even after a religious group booked the same venue.
Prayers Beyond Boundaries based on Murang’a Road in Nairobi is said to have booked the venue for four days beginning from June 1 to June 4 and paid Sh160, 000.
“I’m ready to share with the opposition some days within the period I have booked if they contact me. But it should not be the first of June since prayers have to come first,” Church founder Lucy Ngunjiri said.
Cord leader Raila Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango said the opposition is not interested in petty politics.
“Cord will not participate in sideshows and games, but will continue to play its role to ensure the government delivers to her citizens,” Onyango said.
The Itaha Ria Muoyo gospel show host on Kameme FM said that he had already contacted the OCPD, the couty government and other relevant agencies and she will be more than willing to host CORD but not in the first day, June, if only they stick to prayers.
“I have contacted the OCPD, the county government, as well as other relevant agencies and they are allowed to attend as long as they stick to worship and prayers. I don’t want politics in my church,” Ngunjiri said.
“I cannot afford a stadium since it is Sh400, 000 per day. No one in Cord has contacted me,” Ngunjiri said.
Starehe MP Maina Kamanda told journalists that Jubilee leaders were fed up with what they said were diversionary tactics by Cord and vowed to protect the presidency from incessant attacks from the Opposition.
“Never in the history of this country has the Opposition ever held parallel celebrations to mark a national holiday, as that would be akin to declaring yourself president,” said Mr Kamanda. “That is something we will oppose at all costs.”