Garissa Township MP Aden Duale came under fire for allegedly likening the Catholic Church to a cult.
The former leader of majority in the National Assembly was comparing the structure of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to that of the 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 legislator.
Read: Duale: I Regret Decision To Merge URP With TNA
His comments which have been considered disparaging have attracted criticism from believers and ODM members.
The party’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna demanded an apology from the lawmaker who he said insulted Constitutional rights of Cotholics 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,” said Sifuna.
https://twitter.com/edwinsifuna/status/1425704788583460864
Lawyer Donald Kipkorir said: “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.”
Former Mukurwe-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando asked the MP to apologize without justifying the “slip of the tongue”.
“Had praised your frankness. Hadn’t watched full clip, now I have. Just apologise without justifying the slip. You likened ODM ‘cult’ to Catholic Church, then you so defended a “leaking” IEBC. Both erroneous. Pls avoid matters of FAITH in politics it’s fluid, divisive, sectarian (sic),” said the ex-legislator.
https://twitter.com/Wakabando/status/1425721543506731009
But according to Duale, he was making reference to ODM as a cult and not the Catholic church.
He added that he has the utmost respect for the church, its structures and teachings of other religions.
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. Am a man of faith who respects all the teachings of other religions. #Duale #CatholicChurch pic.twitter.com/gye1tRBYVy
— Hon. Aden Duale, EGH (@HonAdenDuale) August 12, 2021
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