Kenyans have expressed their disaffection at Garissa Township Member of Parliament (MP) Aden Duale’s utterances where he likened the Catholic Church to Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
Hon Duale made the disparaging utterances live on Citizen on August 11, 2021 – where he said that ODM as a party was a cult just like the Catholic church.
“ODM is a cult… nobody can speak. It is like the Catholic Church with the Pope at the head then the structures. But Jubilee is a very democratic party, I condone those aligned with the President, those aligned with the DP, those who use vulgar language, those who utter unpalatable words and those are found in every political formation,” said the former National Assembly Majority Leader compared the Orange party with the structure of the Catholic Church claiming that both were cults.
Here are some of the reactions from Kenyans.
Responding to the statement, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna demanded an apology from the Garissa Township MP insisting that Duale had insulted Constitutional rights of Catholics and ODM party members.
“As an @TheODMparty life member and fully baptized and confirmed member of the Catholic Church, I take great exception to the comparison by Duale of these institutions with cults. Duale must apologize and forthwith respect each one’s freedom of association and worship,” – ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna.
“Roman Catholic Church is the oldest monotheistic religion bar Judaism. Islam and Protestantism are its offshoots. That my friend Aden Duale syncs ODM, a temporal political body and my Church, an ecclesiastical body is heretical to the largest body of believers in Kenya and the world.” – Lawyer Donald Kipkorir.
Duale has since clarified his statements – stating that he was not in anyway demeaning the church.
“My remark was in reference to the ODM party and NOT the Catholic Church as a cult. I have tremendous respect for the Catholic Church and its elaborate structures. I’m a man of faith who respects all the teachings of other religions,” Duale explained.