NAIROBI, Kenya: Americans braved harsh weather conditions and strict security measures to witness the inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday 27, 2025, an event watched by millions worldwide.
At the Capitol One Arena, all eyes were on the big screens projecting the live event from the Capitol Rotunda. An event marked with so much precision and orderliness it was impossible to miss anything as the order of events flow into each other seamlessly.
In the events of the day, however, pastor Lorenzo Sewell stole the show while delivering the benediction with his reference to Martin Luther King Jr’s. ”I Have a Dream”. The prayer paid homage on a federal holiday that celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. alongside patriotic songs and gospel hymns.
Sewell, a pro-Trump supporter who has endorsed him severally was requested by President Trump personally to pray at the service. Of note though is that Sewell didn’t shy away from making his sentiments known to God in the presence of the president in matters he felt were a little too touchy. He used the pivotal moment to appeal to a sovereign God on what could affect millions of people of color in the U.S.A.
Prior to the powerful prayer, Bishop Mariann Budde in her sermon at the inaugural service made a plea to the incoming president Donald Trump to soften some of his stances against the American people and its immigrants. A move that made him term her his hater, and demand an apology for what he terms inappropriate statements.
Budde, a critic of Trump and his ideologies, also used the moment to address the president-to-be on heartfelt matters making a final Plea to the present-elect before he takes office. Whichever way Donald Trump moves forward is totally up to him but the two moments of both a supporter and a critic shed light on some real fears of most Americans despite their political affiliations.
Of stark resemblance however, are the similarities between the Americans and Kenyans. There are so many policies taking place that scare even the supporters of the regimes.
Both supporters and critics of the governments are becoming increasingly aware of the transgressions that undermine the rule of law and how emboldened our leaders are in their transgressions with no sense of remorse whatsoever.
We are not pleased that every so often the government devices a way to make little activists out of everyone with ridiculous policies and actions that leave us reeling with anger and disappointments.
The trick however might be finding a way to put across messages in a way that isn’t aggressive and disrespectful but that’s wholly dependent on how effective systems put in place can facilitate this.
