Remarks · 7 June 2023
• The Convenors of this Prayer Breakfast, • Lord Dr Michael Hastings, • Our Speakers, • The Chief Justice, • Judges, • Hon Members, • Kenyans, I greet you in the name of the Lord; Reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20)
I join you this morning with rejoicing, thanksgiving, faithful supplication and prayer in my heart. I praise the Almighty God of All Creation, whose supremacy we the people of Kenya, solemnly and humbly acknowledge, even at the moment of constituting our sovereign Republic, and to Whom we submit our aspirations in prayer every time we sing our National Anthem.
Kenya has emerged triumphant and sovereign out of the sorrowful mists of painful history because those who came before us endured harrowing sacrifice with heroic determination and faith in God, our creator.
The history of Kenya, therefore, is an ample chronicle of consistent struggle, unshakeable determination, unity and devout prayer. Prayer is not just an exemplary component of our heritage and a magnificent tradition, prayer anchors our aspirations, and devotion to God. The most important instruments and symbols of our Republic constantly remind us to be reconciled with the Almighty God of all creation.
I thank the convenors of the National Prayer Breakfast for bringing us together as leaders to rally the nation in its splendid diversity of creeds and faiths, to unite in submission to God, and to take our dearest wishes, deepest needs and foremost desires, before the majestic throne of our benevolent creator. We kneel before God, praying for justice our shield and defender, so that our nation can stand before any difficulty, adversity, threat or trial.
There is no better time for us to pray as a Nation than now. We have an opportunity to give thanks for the far we have come as a country, amid global turmoil arising from a pandemic, geopolitical crisis, economic shocks, as well as regional conflict, harrowing drought, a plague of locusts, and a closely contested election.
Globally , nations are groaning under high cost of living, intensified by soaring debt, food scarcity, unemployment and a struggling economy.
We are giving our best in the struggle to overcome these immense challenges. Firstly, our robust endeavours to implement a radical socioeconomic transformation through the bottom-up agenda is intended to provide sustainable solutions to our cost of living, food scarcity, unemployment and poverty problems. Secondly, we have historically, and even now stand ready to lend our hand to our neighbors and regional brothers and sisters experiencing conflict and instability, and take a stand for peace, security and development. Further, we join the global community in combating existential threats to humanity in the form of conflict, terrorism, poverty, exclusion and the triple planetary crisis of pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change. In all these and other endeavours, we must also invoke our collective faith as a nation, and congregate before the throne of mercy and seat of grace, in order that our effort may be blessed with success, and that our unity, cohesion and solidarity be elevated to a divine communion, solemn fellowship and sacred fraternity of all our people.
Bear with each other and forgive one another (Colossians 3:13)
On this day of prayer, I call your attention to the important need for a shared understanding of all the causes we hold dear, and are willing to defend. Without this understanding, we end up fighting each other instead of fighting for our causes. Without this understanding, we end up divided, when we should be united.
I want to remind all leaders about the expectation that the people of Kenya have: That we love our country dearly, and will do our part to make Kenya work and succeed in promoting the well-being, dignity and liberty of all. We are expected to be united by a vision of a strong, secure and prosperous Kenya where our people live in prosperity, freedom and happiness. These are proper and legitimate expectations.
I will go further and propose that although our ideas concerning the means, strategies and policies of achieving this vision may differ, we must remain cognizant of a line no one should ever cross: of wishing that this nation fails, or that her people suffer, just to vindicate our politics. Neither can we pursue an agenda of sabotage for political advantage.
Democracy is a divine political gift, which enables us to compete vigorously, as we always do, but also empowers us to reconcile our aspirations , and recognize the fundamental unity of our truest aspirations in a single vision for a free, strong, prosperous, united and secure nation.
This vision cannot admit the weaponization of political differences to punish the vulnerable, prejudice the innocent, injure the hardworking and afflict the struggling. Pursuit of political aspirations must also enhance justice, not undermine it, expand freedom, not constrict it, and must increase democracy, freedom and security, and not promote autocracy, tyranny, impunity, destruction and fear.
Let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18)
Today, we are in the midst of a robust national conversation about public policies. Our democratic culture has endowed us with a rare opportunity to reason together, and reconcile with the current realities. • Unemployment • Manufacturing • Exports • Housing Agricultural land Debt. So, as we participate in this important debate on the Finance Bill, let us ask God to open our eyes and enable us clearly see the real choices that we have to make. Dan 11;32
Living within our means, requires us to work with what we have; what is in our hands, as Moses was commanded in the Old Testament, and as Jesus asked his disciples before feeding the 5,000, in the New Testament.
We are at the threshold of great transformation, and in a moment which demands singular courage. Our commitment is under test; only bold decisions will enable us make the best of this opportunity to unlock the possibilities of the Kenya we all want for ourselves and for our children. It is time to be bold and brave. Delay tactics, and sabotage are written in the shaky handwriting of cowards . Excuses are the nails used to construct the coffin of failure as procrastination is a thief of time. Let us be reconciled to God, to one another, and to our collective aspirations in order for us to live up to the true promise of this moment and our common destiny. God Bless You. God Bless Kenya.