Church dilemma as clergy plunge into murky politics

By Oscar Obonyo

In Nigeria, priests and bishops were openly harassed and their robes torn while far off in Colombo, Sri Lanka, they were pelted with objects.

Back home, the Church is smarting from a bloody incident last Sunday where twin explosions at a crusade-cum-political rally claimed the lives of six people and left hundreds injured.

While those behind the heinous offence and the motive remain unknown, the fact that the attack was directed at the clergy and worshipers is worrying enough.

National Council of Churches of Kenya Deputy General Secretary Oliver Kisaka partly blames politicians and the media for the anger directed at the clergy.

"They have fanned hatred against Christians and incited violence against priests. Meanwhile the National Cohesion and Integration Commission has allowed Cabinet ministers to refer to us as demons," protests Kisaka.

But Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale blames the clergy for "being an enemy unto themselves".

The legislator criticises the clergy for endangering lives of Kenyans by engaging in divisive politics instead of healing the nation.

"Why would they mislead their flock, including children, into believing the Uhuru Park event was a crusade only for it to be transformed into a political rally?" poses Khalwale, who regrets innocent children "who had nothing to do with referendum politics" perished in the Sunday attack.

The Church is in a dilemma following last weekend events, with some clergy quietly pushing for its non-involvement in outdoor political campaigns.

Already, the mainstream churches — Catholic and Anglican — have shunned public rallies opting to spread their message through less combative means.

In the meantime, it is an all out political war as the Church gets immersed in constitutional campaigns. Among latest ugly incidents is the entry of a man at Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica during lunchtime Mass, who smashed statues with a hammer, including a golden monstrance valued at Sh500,000.

Earlier, the Church seemed to fight back when Catholic University of Eastern Africa philosophy lecturer Joseph Omole was sacked for allegedly "publishing Press articles that went against Church stand on the Proposed Constitution".

The battles have equally been vicious elsewhere. In Nigeria’s instance, Catholic priests who openly campaigned for a certain candidate during elections for the governor of Anambra State in March irked churchgoers. The priests camped at polling stations to entreat their congregations to vote for Peter Obi, who eventually won.

But the campaigns were dirtier than the priests anticipated. They were attacked on the pulpit and called names in the local media, including claims Obi had bribed them.

In Colombo, however, Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith quickly arrested the situation by warning that candidates who appear in priestly garbs in campaigns would be defrocked.

In Kenya, the clergy are protesting over being labelled ‘anti-reformists’ and ‘prophets of doom’.

"We have been labelled narrow-minded, intolerant and called all sorts of names. But we shall not be cowed as we are simply voicing our concerns, and for purposes of record, that this constitution is bad," says Kisaka.

Whether they were prepared for it or not, this is the tough price the men and women of the cloth have to pay for venturing into the murky waters of political campaign against the Proposed Constitution.

Retired Presbyterian Church of East Africa prelate Timothy Njoya warns the situation could get murkier as referendum campaigns gain momentum.

And no prelate understands better consequences of political activism than Dr Njoya. The pro-reform clergyman’s image, lying supinely on the pavements of Parliament Road groaning under lashes of hired goons, remains etched in the minds of many.

Political scientist Ludeki Chweya explains the Church is an institution, which like any other, has interests it wants enhanced and protected. He says a culture of listening to segments of society, such as the Church, is healthy for democracy.

"Every segment of society must exercise its right to freedom of expression and association. A segment that feels excluded naturally begins to explore options that may be unorthodox," warns the former University of Nairobi lecturer.

Noting that not all views can be carried on board, Chweya, who is also Permanent Secretary in the Vice President’s Office, explains lack of inclusiveness is what leads to fundamentalism.

But University of Nairobi political science lecturer Adams Oloo rules out the possibility of the constitutional debate leading to religious fundamentalism.

"Are the clergy and their faithful walking the same path on this?" he poses. "I do not think so — at least not entirely. This could well be a case of the clergy and their flock walking different paths," he says.

Nonetheless, Oloo does not rule out the inherent danger of clergy dragging Kenyans into a religiosity war.

As the clergy engage in political battle, counterparts in neighbouring countries have unveiled plans to play the referee in forthcoming general elections.

Meanwhile, the battle rages on and Njoya warns: "At the end of it all, that clergy will lose face, totally."

However, Kisaka maintains: "This is not about winning." According to an NCCK official, what is crucial is that unlike before, the Church is not seated on the fence.