Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has launched a scathing attack on the Church, accusing it of hypocrisy over its treatment of victims of police brutality in 2023 compared to its response to Gen Z victims in 2024 and 2025.
While speaking during an event at Jomvu on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Raila blasted the Church for denying the Azimio team access when they wanted to pray for victims of the 2023 Azimio-led protests.
He questioned why the same church had now come out in 2024 and 2025 to support and stand in solidarity with the youth, asking where they were during the earlier tragedies.
“In 2023, when our boys were killed and we wanted to go and pray for our boys and girls, we were not allowed to enter any church at that time. The hypocrisy is that the Church has now come out to say, ‘We are ready; we are with you people.’ Where were they all that time?” Raila asked.
During the same event, Raila also gave the green light to Kenyans planning to participate in protests scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, 2025, urging them to do so peacefully and within the bounds of the law.
He reminded the public that the right to protest and picket is enshrined in Article 37 of the Constitution. He emphasized that anyone wishing to protest must notify the police of their assembly points and the intended times of protest, as stipulated by law.
Odinga affirmed that this is the official position of the ODM party, reiterating that all Kenyans have the constitutional right to picket and demonstrate. He urged protestors to conduct themselves responsibly, stressing that demonstrations should not be criminalized or used as an excuse to damage the country’s economy.
He also cautioned the government against using force or intimidation to suppress protests, stating that Kenyans should be allowed to move freely from one location to another during peaceful demonstrations.
