By Clement Wasike
As Kenya trembles beneath the weight of tribal vitriol and political arson, our churches, mosques, and temples stand challenged for neglecting their duty to reclaim their default place as pacesetters of society’s moral compass.
Once revered as sanctuaries where Kenyans knelt as equals before the divine, too many faiths have degenerated into partisan echo chambers where caustic rhetoric replaces communion, and where political demagogues find easy refuge.
A 2024 Pew Research study revealed that 68% of Kenyans believe religious leaders have “excessively politicised” their platforms, while another poll showed that places of worship now rank third—behind bars and matatus—as spaces where citizens encounter toxic division. Such an indictment on faith outfits is totally inadmissible.
From the anti-colonial defiance of missionaries of yore to the courageous 1992 Lenten Declaration where Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim leaders jointly declared “multi-partyism a right, not a gift,” Kenya’s faith institutions built their moral capital on fearless truth-telling against power. Meanwhile, the 2010 Constitution drafting process saw religious leaders bridge ethnic chasms to advocate for Chapter Six on integrity. Their strength lay in moral autonomy as part of their calling.
Today, that legacy is being auctioned as we witness politicians being shielded from critique while opponents are caricatured from pulpits. We have also seen some clergy amplify ethnic stereotypes under the guise of “prophecy and multi-million harambees where politicians “donate” cash procured from suspect dealings. Such donations look more like grotesque laundering of ill-gotten wealth offered to secure spiritual legitimacy than acts of largesse.
Such Faustian bargain has consequences no doubt. A recent National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) report laments that youth attendance in church has plummeted by 40% courtesy of politicised congregations. One Gen Z focus group participant is quoted in the survey wondering, “Why listen to a pastor who licks the boots of leaders stealing our future?”
When clerics bless and seem to sanction dissention, they effectively sanction violence, normalise corruption and devalue faith.
To restore the “light on the hill,” faith communities must urgently reinstate their gatekeeping mandate as Rabbi Abraham Heschel proclaimed. “The prophets’ word is a scream in the night.” Kenyan clergy must recover the courage to condemn all injustice whether from the government or opposition without fear or favour. They must enforce sacred space protocols and insist that no politician—regardless of rank—should speak in worship centres without submitting to vetting of content. To that end, the Hindu Council of Kenya’s rule is instructive, “no discourse that divides, defames, or dehumanises shall pollute our shrines.”
Our faiths should resurrect moral consistency and call selective outrage to an end. To show how, we can borrow a leaf from the Muslim Supreme Council’s 2024 fatwa against “slander (ghiba) in mosques”, a principle that applies universally. We should also demand that our faiths invest in ethical literacy and train clergy in conflict mediation and ethical governance over and above theology. The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission’s workshops linking Scripture to Chapter Six implementation offer a perfect template. Moreover, our faiths should divest from dirty money and reject donations from sources mired in clouds of doubtful integrity.
Mine is not a call for faith groups to abandon society. Far from it! Rather, it is a call to engage society with authority anchored on moral integrity.
Kenya’s faithful—estimated at 80% of the population—yearns for shepherds. They crave sanctuaries, not rostrums where partisan political agenda is spewed. We demand that faith leaders extinguish caustic epithets from the altar and evict demagogues from pulpits. Let prayer replace propaganda and genuine communion gets to conquer chaos.
The “factory settings” of faith-led outfits has justice, mercy, and humility at their core, a prerequisite that remains firmly embedded in their DNA. It is time to reboot the system and reawaken the nerve ends of this crucial edifice.
When faith institutions choose moral clarity over access, and integrity over influence, they reclaim the high ground. More so, they actually become that “city on a hill” whose light no kind of darkness can extinguish. Kenya’s frayed soul needs no less.
Wasike is a former banker turned social critic and political commentator Wasike is a former banker turned social critic and political commentator
