Church to help Kenyans elect good leaders

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NCCK secretary general Canon Peter Karanja (left) Bishop David Oginde (centre) and Dr Gerry Kibarabara during a news conference at Nairobi's Ufungamano House May 25, 2010. Photo/ FILE 

By TOM MOSOBA tmosoba@tz.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, July 28  2012 at  23:30

Religious leaders will stress the importance of values and qualities needed in those seeking public office in the General Election.

National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) secretary-general David Karanja says that is the only way the electorate would be assured of leadership that delivers and guides national processes prudently.

He said in an interview that Kenyans are anxious about the coming elections following their experiences in the 2007/2008 polls that ended in violence.

Canon Karanja told the Sunday Nation that besides educating Kenyans on the values of good leadership, church leaders have lined up several initiatives they believe will guide voters towards peaceful campaigning and elections.

He spoke ahead of NCCK’s first initiative in which they are holding meetings with all presidential hopefuls to secure their promise to conduct peaceful campaigns and also prevail upon their supporters to uphold civility in the entire process.

The team on Wednesday met United Democratic Forum’s (UDF) presidential contender Musalia Mudavadi. Canon Karanja joined hands with Mr Mudavadi to oppose a reported campaign by a section of MPs to postpone the General Election from March to August next year.

It was also at the meeting with Mr Mudavadi that Canon Karanja announced they would hold open debates among all the presidential aspirants to shed light on their manifestos and vision for the country.

The Sunday Nation has learnt that more measures jointly planned by the religious leaders to vigorously work towards peaceful electioneering include holding open inter-tribal discussions.

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“We believe that democratic peace building requires political and economic interest and respect the interest of others,” said Canon Karanja, adding that religious leaders were better placed to lead inter-ethnic dialogue than politicians or tribal leaders.

In view of the complexities of the next election, both NCCK and Catholic leaders have undertaken to continue facilitating civic and voter education as the greatest insurance for peace.

“Church leaders must also encourage their Christians to join election observation, educate Kenyans on compliance with Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity and support the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission as it rolls out its delivery programme,” Canon Karanja said.

In a separate interview, Father Vincent Wambugu, secretary-general of the Kenya Episcopal Conference, said it was unfortunate the church has in the past come under attack when it was carrying out its civic duty.

“It should however be appreciated that the church stands with the people and is part of the society and would therefore journey with them all the time,” he said while responding to criticism that religious leaders took sides in the 2007 General Election.

Quoting from a pastoral letter issued by Catholic Bishops in May, Fr Wambugu said the Church affirmed commitment to a peaceful election “in the light of justice, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation.”

“The Catholic church will not anoint or endorse any leader or political party but only educate Kenyans on the qualities of a good leader. The church calls for public vetting of all political office holders in the spirit of the chapter on Leadership and Integrity in our Constitution,” reads part of the communiqué that also opposed ethnic mobilisation by any groups for political purposes.

Canon Karanja also cautioned against vilification of religious leaders when they express their individual opinion. “But while they are at a personal level free to have preferences, we have told them to distinguish this from their official roles and mandates as they risk abuse of office charges.

“When democracy matures, churches as institutions will be able to endorse their preferred candidates as is the case in the USA and other countries,” said Canon Karanja.

Religious leaders have recently come under scrutiny, variously blamed of siding with polarising politicians. The church leadership has also been accused of dropping vigilance with which it checked the executive during former president Daniel arap Moi’s era.

Retired Presbyterian Church of East Africa clergyman, the Reverend Timothy Njoya is the foremost critic of the mainstream, evangelical and Protestant clergy for their approach in politics, saying “they all lack vision and an agenda that was not for self-preservation.”

The radical preacher who braved the harsh Moi regime and his church for speaking his mind and going against the grain, toldSunday Nation that religious leaders were still “groping in the dark and deluded by self denial.”
“Both the church and politicians are motivated by the need to preserve continuity, stability and profitability of a shared market place,” he said.