Author: Erick Otieno
Date: January 20, 2007
Source: Kenya Times http://www.timesnews.co.ke/20jan07/nwsstory/topstry.html

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RETIRED South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu yesterday told church leaders in Kenya to relinquish their religious duties first if they have to plunge into politics.

Adding his voice to the deluge of criticism that has greeted a number of evangelical church leaders who have expressed intentions to seek political office ahead of the forthcoming General Election, Tutu said the clerics have either to choose the pulpit or politics, adding that the two roles were not mutually inclusive.

The Nobel Laureate renowned for his human rights efforts, who is in the country for the World Social Forum, observed that the Church can only be involved in national political discourse through giving honest advice and not descending in the arena of battle by taking partisan positions.

Said he: “If you are a pastor and a Member of Parliament for a constituency representing a political party you cannot deal evenly with your obligations.”

He said party politics can easily undermine the capacity of church leaders to act morally and ethically and advised them against being driven into politics by the trappings of the office of MPs.

The forthcoming General Election has attracted the interest of evangelists who have declared their candidature for various elective positions including the presidency.

Pastor Ezekiel Ndura Waruinge, a former leader of the outlawed Mungiki sect and now turned cleric, televangelists Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Pius Muiru are gunning for Lang’ata, Starehe and Kamukunji parliamentary seats respectively. Pastor Muiru has also declared his candidature for the presidency on the Republican Alliance Party (RAP) of Kenya ticket.

So far the evangelists who have stepped boldly into the political fray are facing either criminal or social problems that are likely slow their pace to the august House.

Pastor Waruinge is facing court charges related to incitement following the death of three people in Kibera last month after police disrupted a rally he had called in the slums to drum up support for his candidature.

Bishop Wanjiru on the other hand is embroiled in a marital row with one James Kamangu who has demanded that the cleric acknowledges her alleged marriage to him before she ties the knot with a fellow South African evangelist. Kamangu says he married Wanjiru under Kikuyu customary law and were blessed with two sons.

Pastor Muiru may also face legal charges after officials of Republican Alliance Party Kenya (RAP-K) disowned him and threatened to take him to court for imposing himself on the party.

Archbishop (rtd) Tutu’s sentiments were echoed by Catholic Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth who stressed that the church can only contribute to debate on the political, social and economic ills and oppression in the country.

Citing sentiments of Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta that the church is the consciousness of the society, Archbishop Okoth said the clergy have a right to speak against injustice and oppression to uphold the dignity of society. The two were speaking at a media briefing at the All African Council of Churches in Nairobi ahead of the World Social Forum scheduled to begin today.

Separately, Archbishops Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki (Catholic) and Benjamin Nzimbi (Anglican Church of Kenya ) said even though it was the democratic right of church leaders to seek political positions, such a move would be ill-advised.

At the same time, Archbishop Tutu called for increased participation of women in peace efforts across Africa to save the continent from the ravages of conflicts.

He said men have messed up the continent and can no-longer be relied upon to initiate successful peace efforts in war-torn countries. “It will be a good thing to have a good revolution led by women who are feminine if we are to see lasting peace on the continent,” he said.

He noted that, women being the major victims of armed conflicts across the continent were the only hope, and must take a leading role in seeking peace.

The clerics also lauded the WSF for raising issues affecting developing countries on the world’s agenda, adding that before the establishment of the WSF, the concept of the Third World was only raised by developed countries.

Archbishop Okoth said through the WSF, Third World countries have begin to feel as part of the global village where its social concerns are shared by other countries.

Tutu said though there were no tangible achievements made by WSF, the initiative has been able to articulate challenges bedevilling its affiliates to the fore instead of wishing them away. He cited the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a direct result of lobbying by WSF.