Kalonzo urges churches to preach against tribalism

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has urged churches to preach against tribalism for the sake of peace in the country.

Mr Musyoka told a congregation at a church in Nairobi’s South B Estate that churches stand a better ground to advise their flocks against the vice that has bedevilled the country every electioneering year.

“What is going on in our country’s political scene today is (ethnic) balkanisation. But this is dangerous because tribalism will injure our prosperity. It will take us back to the dark days,” he said.

The VP challenged the church to take a strict position against tribalism arguing that part of the 2007 skirmishes continued because the Church took sides.

“In 2007, the Church retreated to their respective tribes. Now, God has given us another chance and I hope this time, the Church will stand as a church against tribalism.”

Mr Musyoka, who is also a presidential aspirant for the Wiper Democratic Party, called on church elders to be vigilant against those who would want to use the pulpit to discriminate or incite people of one ethnic group against another.

Tribal clashes have been a recurrent feature in Kenya’s political scene especially since the birth of multiparty democracy in 1992. But the worst case was after the 2007 elections in which 1,133 people died and more than 600,000 displaced.

At the time, critics argued that while tribes went for each other’s necks, the church either took sides or failed to condemn the acts.

On Saturday, the VP cautioned against churches taking the sides of political opponents saying it might impact negatively their flock.

He was speaking at the Gospel Tabernacle Worship Centre during the 5th anniversary of the ‘Re-birth of the Black Race Prophetic Utterance’, a theme furthered by the church to show that Africa is flourishing by the year, away from the traditional hunger, famine and disease.

“It cannot be that every year we keep begging for food. I think the 21st century belongs to Africa and Africa’s men and women are going to take up some very realistic positions about it.”