Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has cautioned politicians against using churches as platforms to advance political divisions, urging leaders to respect places of worship and keep political competition away from religious institutions.
Speaking on Sunday during a thanksgiving Mass at Gaichanjuru Catholic Parish in Murang’a County, Prof Kindiki said politicians should treat churches as sanctuaries for worship and reconciliation rather than venues for political confrontation.
The Deputy President said leaders should be able to distinguish between political contests and the role of the Church in promoting peace, unity and the welfare of society.
> “When we enter the house of worship, we stay as worshippers and talk on matters of building, not destroying,” Prof Kindiki said.
He urged politicians to compete on the basis of their development records rather than resorting to insults, violence or destruction of property.
“Politics is competition for leadership, and it is for a while. Once it passes, we will remain as one community and we will remain as one country,” he said.
His remarks come as political activity begins gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 General Election, with leaders across the country increasingly positioning themselves and their parties for the contest.
Prof Kindiki called on residents of Mt Kenya and the wider country to resist attempts to divide communities along political lines, saying political winners and losers would ultimately remain members of the same society.
He said candidates should present their records to voters and allow citizens to determine who should lead.
“If it is competition, let us compete on the work the leaders have done. I bring my record, and the other brings their record of what they did. The winner becomes our leader, and the one who does not win waits for the next opportunity,” he said.
The Deputy President was speaking during celebrations marking 100 years of Gaichanjuru Mission Hospital, an institution he said illustrated the long-standing contribution of the Catholic Church to Kenya’s social and economic development.
He traced the hospital’s origins to the arrival of missionaries in the area in 1903 and the subsequent establishment of the hospital in 1925.
Prof Kindiki praised the Catholic Church for investing not only in evangelisation but also in healthcare, education, water provision and other community development programmes.
He described the Church as one of the Government’s most important development partners.
“The Catholic Church has not just concentrated on preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but has also concentrated on empowering citizens, building hospitals, schools and universities, providing water for communities and improving the lives of our people,” he said.
He said the Government recognised the contribution of faith-based organisations and would continue working with them to improve public services.
“The Government sees you as a partner in our development agenda,” Prof Kindiki said.
He paid tribute to missionaries who established institutions such as Gaichanjuru Mission Hospital, saying their work had laid a foundation for decades of service to residents.
Prof Kindiki also used the occasion to defend the Government’s infrastructure record, saying stalled road projects had resumed after the State settled more than Sh177 billion owed to contractors.
He said more than 6,000 kilometres of roads across the country were now under construction following the settlement of pending bills.
In Murang’a, he said several projects had resumed, including roads that had been stalled for years.
Among those he cited was the Mutoho-Manju-Kagumoini road, where he said the first six kilometres had been completed and work on the blacktop was expected to begin the following week.
He also cited the Makenji-Karima Mwaro-Kandara road, saying a contractor was already on site.
Prof Kindiki said the Government was determined to complete roads promised by President William Ruto during his visits to the region.
He challenged residents to hold the relevant officials accountable for the implementation of the projects.
The Deputy President said Murang’a had become a major beneficiary of the Government’s affordable housing, modern markets and student accommodation programmes.
He said the Government had allocated Sh27 billion to various projects in the county, including modern markets and hostels for students in technical training institutions, universities and Kenya Medical Training College facilities.
Murang’a currently has 25 modern markets under construction, he said, adding that President Ruto had directed that two more be added, raising the number to 27.
Kandara alone, Prof Kindiki said, would have five modern markets, including projects at Kagunduini and Gacharage.
He credited Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome with championing the development projects in the region and ensuring that Murang’a was not left behind in the Government’s development agenda.
Across the country, he said, more than 600 modern markets were being developed alongside accommodation facilities for students.
Prof Kindiki said the Government was also expanding student accommodation, with more than 180,000 hostel spaces being developed for university and technical training institution students.
Prof Kindiki said that President Ruto had committed up to Sh50 million towards the expansion and modernisation of Gaichanjuru Mission Hospital.
The funds, he said, would support the construction of critical facilities, including an Intensive Care Unit, High Dependency Unit, theatre and laboratories.
He said the President had also directed the Ministry of Public Works to work with the hospital’s management to establish the additional infrastructure required.
Prof Kindiki said an initial allocation of Sh27 million for new buildings was not sufficient to meet all the hospital’s needs and that the Government would assess additional requirements.
The announcement came as the hospital marked a century of service to the local community.
Prof Kindiki said the Government appreciated the role played by the institution since its establishment and would support efforts to modernise it.
The Deputy President closed his address with an appeal for unity in Mt Kenya and across the country, warning against political mobilisation that could fracture communities.
He said political differences should not be allowed to destroy family and community relations.
“Do not be used to disrupt the peace of the community, to insult or fight your brother or your parents, or destroy the property of your neighbours because matters of politics will pass,” he said.
Prof Kindiki said Kenya’s development depended on communities remaining united and working together despite political differences.
He pledged that the Government would defend national cohesion and resist attempts to undermine the unity of the country.
“We cannot allow the unity of our country to be undermined. We cannot also allow the unity of our community and the unity of our region to be undermined,” he said.
He urged residents to embrace tolerance and peaceful political competition, saying leaders should focus on presenting their achievements to voters rather than mobilising communities against one another.
The Deputy President said the country’s political contests should not erase the shared history, cultural ties and common interests that bind Kenyans together.
He pledged to support efforts to preserve national unity, saying the country could not afford to repeat periods of political conflict that had previously disrupted communities and the economy.
