President Uhuru Kenyatta has finally come out to settle the debate on the hanging of his portrait in public offices and business premises.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu stated that no one would be forced to display the President's portrait since it is not a requirement in the Constitution.
“No one is forcing anyone to do anything. I think portraits have been up in terms of existing tradition…and it is one that we are not fleeing away from,” he said.
Mr Esipisu further stated that the government would not take any legal action against anyone who pulled down the portrait, since it was not a crime but just a practice which had been borrowed from previous administrations.
The debate regarding the portraits was kicked off by Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga, after he urged all governors affiliated to Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) to pull down Uhuru's picture and replace with that of Opposition Chief, Raila Odinga.
Rasanga went ahead to urge all County bosses affiliated to the Opposition to take the action as a show of solidarity with their leader.
His sentiments elicited sharp criticism from a section of Jubilee leaders, who condemned the Siaya boss terming his utterances as treason and a show of disrespect to the President.
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