Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Sunday, August 3, 2025, presided over a handshake of sorts between long-standing political rivals William Kamket of Tiaty and his Baringo North counterpart, Joseph Makilap.

Speaking during a church sermon in AIC Kabartonjo, the DP termed the presence of the lawmakers under one roof, worshipping, as God’s miracle.

The two politicians, belonging to the Kaplelach age group of the Kalenjin cultural context, have in the past been at loggerheads, with each pointing an accusing finger at the other over the challenge of banditry in the region. A mediated truce, however, saw the beef soften a couple of years ago in September 2022, as William Kamket elected to work with the Kenya Kwanza regime.

The Tiaty MP is elected on a KANU ticket.

Miracle

“Today as I was sitting here and seeing Kamket at one end and Makilap at the other, I said to myself, God is wonderful. That now Kamket and Makilap can sit before us and worship. This is a miracle that many people from other areas cannot understand, but we understand, the DP said of the pair.

He later invited the two who were sitting side by side to join him for a handshake in front of the congregation.

The DP, who was instrumental in restoring normalcy in the bandit-stricken region during his tenure as the Interior CS, took a further jibe at Kamket.

“Nowadays Kamket is a good man. I agree with Makilap that it is possible for him to be a bishop if we follow due process,” he said in reference to Makilap referring to Kamket as bishop during the church service.

The congregants had initially been served a light moment after one of the speakers expressed doubts over the possibility of Kamket becoming a priest while referencing the day’s sermon on “the power of the tongue.”

During the church sermon, AIC Bishop William Kotut issued a sharp rebuke to the country’s Gen Zs over the tendency to speak negatively of their country and its leaders.

The priest decried a trend he claims has far-reaching ramifications, stressing that words have a greater impact on people than physically inflicted wounds.

The man of cloth challenged the youths to change their ways or face a fate similar to those of the young men of biblical times who mocked the servant of God, Elijah, as a bald-headed man, only to meet their death through ravenous wolves.

Change your ways

“I watch on TV and wonder whatever happened to respect. People are speaking disdainfully about the leader of the nation. They even call them names that youths are not even supposed to use, not only on a president but also on grown-ups,” he stated.

“To the youths of Kenya, you need to change what you think about your country, what you think about your nation, and what you speak about your leaders; don’t call them names. These names you are giving to leaders are not good.

“It hurts people when you speak negatively about them. Words have tremendous weight. People can recover from wounds and heal, but they cannot recover from words that leave permanent scars,” the bishop, known for his altruistic works in the community, stated.