Speaking on Sunday at the Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani, during celebrations to mark 100 years of the Akurinu Church, the President urged school principals to respect the religious beliefs, norms and traditions of all students.

“If you look at all religions, they observe certain beliefs, norms and traditions. For instance, our Muslim brothers and sisters have particular attire, which reflects their beliefs. The same applies to the Sikhs.

“I want to insist to the school principals that have been discriminating our Akurinu brothers and sisters because of wearing their turbans at school that they should stop that habit. It is not justified. There is no law that says that a person doesn’t have the right of identifying themselves in school, at the hospital and in the office according to their religion.

President Kenyatta said students should be allowed to express their religious beliefs so as to build their confidence in God.

“Everyone has their rights guaranteed in our constitution and they should be safeguarded. Everybody has a right and we want to protect that right so that our children can grow as confident people who understand that their faith is their right,” the President said.

He commended the Akurinu church for being at the forefront in spreading the gospel, noting that since its inception in 1922, the church has grown its membership to 1.5 million.

The President further applauded the church’s leadership for promoting education and spearheading various development activities that have been part and parcel of the country’s socio-economic growth.

“You have a generation which not only preaches the gospel but also practises different professions in various fields of human development. Some are doctors, engineers, civil servants, police officers and lawyers among others.

“As we celebrate 100 years, we say thank you to God. Thank you to all who began this journey and we pray that just as the Bible has been handed over from an elder who recently celebrated 100 years of birth to a young person, we trust that this gospel will continue for another 100 years,” President Kenyatta said.

During the ceremony, President Kenyatta announced the appointment of various leaders of the Akurinu Church to public institutions.

The ceremony under the theme: “Celebrating Our Heritage-Inspiring our Future” was also attended by several leaders including Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance Presidential candidate Raila Odinga, his running mate Martha Karua, and several senior Government officials.

Photo|PSCU