Archbishop Anyolo asks church leaders eyeing political seats to resign

Archbishop Philip Anyolo in Kiambu County. [George Njunge, Standard]

The Archbishop of Nairobi Philip Anyolo has asked church leaders intending to vie in the August 9 General Elections to resign by end of February.

Anyolo, in a statement, said “this is to avoid any form of conflict of interest during the campaign period.”

This is also in line with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) requirement that public servants eyeing elective positions in the 2022 polls should exit office by February 9.

Further, the Archbishop has extended by a year the term of elected leaders of the Nairobi Catholic Archdiocese.

The elections were to be held this month but now moved to January 2023.

Anyolo explained that this was instituted by changes endorsed during the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Plenary Assembly in May 2021.

“The Nairobi Archdiocese has adopted KCCB’s elections resolutions and hence deferred this year’s elections to January 2023. Consequently, the current leaders term is effectively extended to end of the year 2022,” he stated.

Archbishop Anyolo was named as the new Archbishop of Nairobi in October last year.

The announcement was made on behalf of the Vatican by Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Bert Van Megen.

He succeeded retired Archbishop Emeritus John Cardinal Njue, who stepped down on January 4, 2021, upon attaining the official retirement age for bishops.