The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has directed churches across the country not to allow politicians to use church services to make political speeches as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 12, the bishops said churches should remain places of worship and should not be turned into platforms for political campaigns.
They noted that politicians have other ways of reaching voters, including through the media, public barazas and roadside rallies.
“We are therefore reiterating and directing that there shall be no political addresses given in any of our Catholic churches in any part of the country,” the bishops said.
The bishops also directed Catholic priests to ensure the order is followed, urging them to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
They warned against allowing political campaigns to interfere with the work of religious institutions, maintaining that churches should not be used for political mobilisation.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the bishops urged Kenyans to take time to assess the performance of their current leaders before deciding who to elect.
They said voters should look at what leaders have delivered rather than allow campaign messages and political excitement to influence their choices.
“We are at a time where reflection and evaluation of the performance of our leaders can be done in order to make a wise choice, it is a good time for us to exercise our rights to elect leaders who will fulfill their mandates,” reads part of the statement.
The church leaders also urged the electorate not to be misled by the campaign propaganda by making careful consideration of those vying for elective posts.
“The clamor that pollutes the atmosphere during the political campaigns should not cloud our ability to individually discern who among the candidates is better placed to represent and lead us,” they continued.
Bishops worry about proposed amendments to electoral law
Additionally, the bishops also raised their concern over the plan to amend the laws regulating the electoral process. They were worried that the amendments will affect the trust the public has in the whole electoral process.
More specifically, they pointed out the proposal to stop the broadcast of the presidential vote-tallying process, which will in effect bring tension before the election period.
“We are alarmed by the introduction of Bills, such as the banning of livestreaming of presidential vote tallies, which unnecessarily raise tension in the country,” said the bishops.
The church leaders appealed to the two Houses to not pass any amendments to electoral laws that would make the upcoming general elections difficult for Kenyans. They called upon the Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula to block such divisive amendments.
“We appeal to Senators to do whatever it takes to ensure full transparency in the elections by giving Kenyans all necessary information,” they said.
