ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi has denied a section of media reports that he left church function after being denied a chance to speak.
It was widely reported that on Sunday, September 12, Mudavadi, one of the principals in the One Kenya Alliance stormed out of an Anglican Church in Butere, Kakamega county after being barred from addressing the faithfuls.
But speaking in Murang’a county moments later, the presidential hopeful said that he did not leave the church as reported but sought permission before he walked out.
Mudavadi said he respects the church so much that he could not just storm out adding that he had not gone to the place of worship to campaign.
“I am now seeing reports that I stormed out of the event. I want everyone to know that I respect the church so much, and the leaders in it. I went to the ceremony because I know it is important, and not because I wanted to campaign,” the ANC leader noted.
He further said he was being expected somewhere and that he left at a time when the consecration of Rev. Rose Okeno as the Bishop of the Butere Diocese was over.
“After Rev. Rose gave her speech, I sent Malala to tell Archbishop Ole Sapit that we had an event to attend in Murang’a county, and that’s quite a long journey from Western,” Mudavadi said.
Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya Jackson Ole Sapit on Sunday, September 12, blocked former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi from speaking at a church function.
Sapit who was speaking at the Butere Girls Secondary School in Kakamega County where Odinga and Mudavadi were invited as guests barred the duo from addressing faithfuls saying that the church had become a battleground for political expediency and is no longer regarded as a place of worship
“And from today onwards, I have banned politicians from speaking inside the Anglican Church. Even if you (the media) put your cameras there, they will not speak,” Sapit said.
