KENYA: Shun political leaders who misuse the Church

“The church should not be used as a place for politics where people convince Christians to vote for them, yet some of them do not belong to any faith. They do not believe in God,” Bishop Maurice Crowley of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale warned.

In his homily at St Peter Claver Catholic Church, Kiminini, recently, Bishop Crowley noted that politicians use places of worship to gain political mileage.

“I am aware of what is happening in most Churches in the region, and I ask you fellow Christians to shun leaders who misuse the Church,” he said.

He called for peaceful campaigns and urged congregants to vote wisely in the forthcoming party nominations and the 8 August General elections.

“I ask you to put God first and preach peace across Kenya as you exercise your democratic right to vote. We need a peaceful elections, so I urge you to elect leaders with a vision,” he said.

Bishop Crowley called upon worshippers to live in harmony and avoid a repeat of the 2007/2008 post-election violence that gripped Kenya. He said the Church should be at the forefront in preaching peace.

“We should not take Kenya back to where it was in 2007 when our people lost lives and others were left homeless. Instead, let us unite the masses for a better Kenya,” Bishop Crowley said.

The prelate joins a series of Catholic bishops who have publicly banned politicians from using the pulpit to woo voters.

On 2 November 2016, Bishop Paul Njiru Kariuki of the Catholic Diocese of Embu told politicians to “keep off Church for political campaigns” whereas Bishop Salesius Mugambi of the Catholic Diocese of Meru on 5 December 2016 called on politicians to “respect the church as a pace of worship.”

(CISA in Nairobi)

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