Church warns against ethnic mobilisation, political violence ahead of 2027

Archbishop Ole Sapit and other leaders on September 24th 2026 at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

The clergy has called on political leaders to lower the political temperature, reject incitement and embrace responsible leadership as Kenya heads towards next year’s elections.

Speaking on Thursday, September 24, Archbishop Ole Sapit said the church was deeply troubled by what he described as a premature and increasingly toxic political atmosphere in the country.

The church also called on security agencies to act impartially and uphold the law without fear or favour.

“Kenya must not return to the destructive cycles of ethnic mobilisation, political violence, voter manipulation, intimidation and division. We have seen where this road leads,” Ole Sapit said.

He called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to undertake urgent preparations for elections that are free, fair, transparent, credible and verifiable.

“Peaceful elections are not achieved on polling day. They are built through justice, trust, and preparations long before ballots are cast.”

The church also called on the government to review tax policies that it said were worsening economic hardship, noting that millions of Kenyans are struggling with unemployment and other economic challenges.

Sapit said taxation was necessary for nation-building but warned that taxation that impoverishes citizens while public resources are squandered becomes an instrument of injustice.

“Kenyans cannot be asked to sacrifice while corruption prospers. Accountability must replace impunity. A government that demands sacrifice from its people must itself model discipline, integrity and transparency,” he said.

On the expected El Nino rains, Sapit urged churches and well-wishers to mobilise support for vulnerable communities in flood-risk areas. He also encouraged families living in flood-prone areas to move to safer grounds ahead of the rains expected next month.

The church also raised concerns over the state of the health sector, saying it was deeply concerned by the continued deterioration of healthcare services across the country.

It further expressed concern over the proposed Basic Education Bill, saying some of its provisions were being advanced without sufficient consensus among stakeholders.

“We are concerned by attempts to advance provisions of the proposed basic education bill without sufficient consensus among stakeholders.”

The church called for repentance and national renewal, saying Kenya was at a defining moment.

“We can persist in the paths of corruption, greed, violence, division, and institutional decay, or we can choose justice, accountability, truth, and national renewal.”

The church concluded that the crisis facing the country was not merely political or economic, but also moral and spiritual.

“Nations do not collapse overnight; they decay when truth is abandoned, justice neglected, and leaders place ambition above service.”