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Machakos Governor has welcomed the move by church leaders to ban political gatherings in the religious places, urging them to hold their respective meetings in a COVID free environment.

In an interview with a local television Mutua said all politicians should desist from using the pulpit as a way of controlling the poor and innocent who are seeking God’s intervention.

“I welcome this move that politicians should not speak in churches, go hold your meeting in a COVID free environment not in church,” Mutua said.

Mutua further urged the Evangelical churches to borrow a leaf from other congregations, rebuking them to not accept any bribes that will make them fall astray.

Church and politics is now a hotly contested topic following a decision by the Anglican Church of Kenya to ban political leaders from addressing faithful’s in church.

Anglican Church Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit dealt a severe blow to the political class after he banned the Anglican clergy from mingling or visiting political leaders at their homes for any reasons.

Soon after the ban by Sapit, the Catholic Church and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), the umbrella body of protestant churches in the country, joined the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) in banning political speeches in places of worship.

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) directed its priests to stop leaders from selling their political messages in churches.

Raila, who alongside scores of other political bigwigs including opposition chiefs Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula and governors Wycliffe Oparanya and James Ongwae were barred from addressing the faithful during the consecration of Butere ACK bishop Rose Okeno last weekend, welcomed the ban on politicking in churches.

However, the decision has sparked a division among Kenyans, politicians and the clergy at large.