In remembering Christ's sacrifice let us return the nation back to God

Kakamega Catholic youth performs the suffering of Jesus on the cross while on a procession  during the Way of the Cross to mark Good Friday on April 3, 2026. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

It is the Easter Season!

For those who confess the Christian faith, it is a great time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of Christ for the atonement of our sins. According to various texts from scripture, he who had not sin became the sacrificial lamb that died on the cross to redeem humanity.

Unfortunately, such a Holy festive season comes at a time when the top political leaders in the country have been trading unpalatable insults that have no place in a civilised society. The Church has been caught up in the crossfire, accused of taking sides with either side of the political divide.

The government side justifies their attacks as simply retaliatory and accuses the religious community of being silent the entire time it has been on the receiving end. On their part, the Opposition brigade alleges that billions stolen from state confers are sanitised or used to bribe certain members of the clergy into silence.

Ironically, the cheer leaders for this public misdemeanors, both President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, were on the same camp and leveraged on partisan members of the clergy to ascent to the top of State power. In their heydays, they accused their main opponent then, the late Raila Odinga of been a ‘Mganga’ (witch doctor).  In addition to both being confessed Christians, their spouses remain active or senior leaders among the clergy.

While these contradictions have been normalised within our political structure, diligent faithful’s, especially the young generation, are left either disillusioned or unsure of what to believe anymore. The social media is awash with such strong sentiments against the Church and was evident during the Gen Z revolution of 2024.

This past weekend, I had the privilege to share a platform with two eminent religious leaders on one of the vernacular TV stations to explore this discourse and the potential impacts towards the 2027 General Election. Based on the interactive live feedback from our audience, it is true this bad manners emanating from top leaders of the country has become obnoxious. Similar sentiments have been shared through mainstream media houses.

For proper context, my co-panelists were from both the Muslim and Christian faiths. According to the 2019 National Census, Kenyans who confess the Christian faith are about 86 per cent of the population, while Muslims are about 11 per cent. Both religious groups account for at least 97 per cent of the country’s population.

According to the views of my colleague panelists, sentiments that are also publicly acknowledged across the country, economic power has become the choice weapon to lure religious leaders and their followers into the snare of political elites. This is especially so during the reign of President Ruto.

State House has been reduced into the theatre of all manner influence peddling and the clergy haven’t been left behind. In the previous administration, both the official and private residences of the Deputy President in Karen were the theatres of similar activities.

It is in the public domain that all these meetings eventually narrows down to brown envelopes as a manner of closing. The volume of the envelope varies depending on the profile, presumed influence commanded in their local community and distance traveled for each attendee.

As one of my co-panelists cheekily put it, it is maybe time that members of the clergy fuelled their own cars and ate at home to their fill before attending such invites at Statehouse or whatever other place they are invited to.

In Church harambees, politicians who bring millions in sacks have their feet washed and kissed, as Jesus did to his disciples before he was taken away from them to be crucified. Politicians become the centre of worship with sermons twisted to massage their big egos as opposed to worshipping the true Christ.

It requires no brainer to notice a peculiar penchant for prosperity gospel leaning churches by the politicians.

For Muslims, while such open hero worship of individuals is abhorrent at the mosques, this bad culture is still perpetuated behind the curtains. Senior politicians still have sway in many places through influence peddling.

It is no surprise that senior members of the Muslim faith have been calling out political leaders from their local communities for plundering public resources against the standards of probity demanded in Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah (2:188).

At the macroeconomic level, a president publicly using abusive language does actually have a negative impact on economic growth. This is because political rhetoric is a key driver of economic performance through shaping the investment environment, influences on investor confidence, and effects on market stability.

Abusive language from a Head of State causes uncertainty, negative investor sentiments and is translated as hostile environment for investment. If persistent, it can lead to brain drain and reduced foreign direct investment.

Historically and in theory, when religious leaders go into bed with the government, the communities they both serve suffers the most. There exists persuasive evidence towards this outcome for a number of reasons.

First, when the clergy engage with political elites for economic handouts, the Church looses its prophetic voice and the moral authority to condemn injustice or the excesses of political leaders. For instance, how can Church leaders collecting donations worth millions or receiving personal vehicles as gifts from the President condemn his abusive public utterances?

Actually, some of these abuses have been made within religious forums where the donations are publicly handed over. This explains the comic scenes witnessed not long ago, when certain members of the clergy purported that they would pray for any stolen public money that is taken to their places of worship. Question is: of what use is salt that has lost its saltiness (Mathew 5:13)?

Second, when places of worship are turned into theatres of politics, this would definitely lead into divisions among the sheep. This may explain the hostilities that we often witness during the electioneering period among communities. When political opponents are given platforms in pulpits, places of worship cease to be sanctuaries of unity and peace, and change into political battle fields.

Third is corruption of the doctrine when the true gospel is replaced with political messages and hero worship. This is closely associated with theocratic overreach and suppression of diversity or persecution of those with dissenting voices, contrary to Christ command that we love one another.

Finally, when members of the clergy get cosy with political elites, they get manipulated and the Church shares the scandal of political failures. For example, the Church in Kenya has had to bear the burden of the failures of the current administration because of their perceived campaign role for the President in 2022.

To make matters worse, President Ruto is on public record on several occasions confessing his cosy relations with senior and influential members of the clergy.

So, as we remember Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross this Easter, we must also reflect on our individuals and collective responsibilities to the nation and advance Christ love to our fellow country men and women, and the generations to come after us.

From this column, have a blessed Easter Holiday!