Priest chides DP Ruto over Kalenjin politics
Fr Ambrose Kimutai. He has faulted the clergy for allowing politicians to politic in churches saying the act was a ‘disgrace’ to the church. FILE PHOTO | TIMOTHY KIMEI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In an interview in Kericho, Segemik Parish Priest Ambrose Kimutai said church pulpits should be treated with respect and accused politicians of continuously using them to send messages that are likely to divide Kenyans rather than unite them.
- The cleric – who was at the forefront in pushing for multiparty politics in Kenya during the Moi era, at the same time hit out at Deputy President William Ruto, who he accused of trying to kill political competition in the Kalenjin dominated South Rift.
A Catholic priest has faulted the clergy for allowing politicians to politic in churches saying the act was a ‘disgrace’ to the church.
In an interview in Kericho, Segemik Parish Priest Ambrose Kimutai said church pulpits should be treated with respect and accused politicians of continuously using them to send messages that are likely to divide Kenyans rather than unite them.
“I am not saying political leaders should not be allowed to speak in churches, but they have to be reminded that churches are places of worship and therefore insults cannot be tolerated. Pulpits must be respected. Politics of unity and development are however allowed,” said Father Kimutai.
He added that it was wrong for politicians to bank on divisions of any kind to rally support behind them.
The cleric – who was at the forefront in pushing for multiparty politics in Kenya during the Moi era, at the same time hit out at Deputy President William Ruto, who he accused of trying to kill political competition in the Kalenjin dominated South Rift.
He added that the Constitution was clear that all Kenyans had the right to form or join a political party of their choice and it was therefore unfair for the DP to attack Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto for registering his new party — Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM).
“William Ruto has a right to join the Jubilee Party as much as Isaac Ruto and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi also have the right to join CCM and Kanu respectively.
We do not like the situation where the DP is trying to force the other two to leave their parties and join Jubilee,” he added.
The priest dismissed a popular belief that the rise of several political parties in the Rift Valley had led to a division among the Kalenjin people, saying that parties did not automatically unite the community.
According to him, the Kalenjin community was already united by a common ancestry — language, traditions and customs — and did not need to be in the same party to seem to be united as being advanced by Jubilee.
He said the people should be allowed to decide who to support in leadership.
“Political parties just came to Kenya a few years ago yet for hundreds of years the Kalenjin people were already united by other factors. We will not buy into the allegations that we all need to be in one party to appear united. Kalenjin can join any party they want,” he added.
Father Kimutai further expressed concern on the growing rivalry between DP Ruto and Governor Ruto and urged the DP to call a leaders’ meeting bringing together all the Kalenjin leaders across the country for a meeting which will unite the leaders and help them make future plans.
