National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has urged religious institutions to focus on spiritual nourishment and leave political matters to politicians.

Speaking at the burial of the late Senator William Cheptumo in Baringo on March 1, 2025, Ichung’wah expressed concern about the increasing involvement of some church leaders in political issues.

He cautioned the clergy against abandoning their spiritual guidance roles.

“We have seen recently that some have abandoned their work of seeking God’s righteousness by guiding us on spiritual matters and have entered into matters concerning our rights,” he stated.

He specifically criticized religious groups that have raised concerns about debts owed to faith-based hospitals under the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

He pointed out that similar grievances were not voiced when funds were reportedly misappropriated under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

“Those debts were from NHIF, but earlier when funds were being stolen from NHIF, we didn’t hear about ‘our rights’ or debts being demanded. But now that they’ve been inherited by the Social Health Insurance Fund, we’re hearing a lot of noise about it,” Ichung’wah remarked.

He emphasized the importance of religious institutions in providing healthcare services while insisting that matters of governance and political discourse should be left to elected leaders.

“I request that all of us in the church return to the work of seeking God’s righteousness by directing all Kenyans to God’s service, but let’s leave the other matters to those who have been called to that work,” he said.

Church criticism on SHA

His remarks come in the wake of Catholic Church Archbishop Muheria’s sharp criticism of the government, in which he accused it of focusing too much on publicity rather than actual service delivery.

“There has to be less rhetoric. We have to stop advertising and act. The government seems to be preoccupied with showcasing projects and plans, but governance is not about promotions—it is about execution. That is what we need to see,” Muheria stated on February 21, 2025.

Muheria criticized the government’s newly introduced Social Health Authority (SHA), labelling it a failure that has exacerbated the crisis in Kenya’s healthcare system.

He accused the administration of ignoring the program’s shortcomings, arguing that its persistent defence of SHA demonstrates that the government is not listening to the struggles of ordinary Kenyans.

“We are still operating within an extremely constrained healthcare system. The reimbursements that were supposed to transition seamlessly from the now-defunct NHIF to SHA are simply not functioning. Hospitals are not receiving these payments on time,” he revealed.

Muheria painted a bleak picture of Catholic hospitals facing severe financial strain due to the government’s failure to meet its obligations.

He disclosed that the Nyeri Catholic Hospital is owed Ksh 250 million, while Catholic hospitals across the country are burdened with outstanding payments totalling Ksh 2.6 billion.

“We cry out, we appeal, yet we receive nothing but vague, non-committal responses. Sometimes we are told we complain too much or exaggerate. But in any serious institution, a debt of Ksh 250 million is crippling—it halts operations. And yet, despite this, we have continued to provide healthcare services,” he stated.

The archbishop emphasized that talk alone would not solve the healthcare system’s issues, urging the government to recognize SHA’s failures and commit to genuine solutions.

“We need to see a functional system, not just hear lofty statements. Reimbursements and payments must be made. It is disheartening that instead of addressing these pressing issues, we continue to bury our heads in the sand,” he concluded.

Voice of the people

Speaking in Bungoma on February 22, 2025, Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya praised the church for stepping up as the voice of the people, arguing that Parliament has failed in its duty to represent ordinary citizens.

“I want to thank the Catholic Church because we have a Parliament that has refused to do its job. Parliament was elected to defend ordinary citizens, but we have a Parliament that has failed to speak up on the issues that Kenyans want to hear,” Salasya said.

The vocal legislator applauded the Catholic Church, stating that the Holy Spirit had inspired its leaders to speak on behalf of Kenyans.

“That’s why we’ve seen the Catholic Church step up. I want to thank the Holy Spirit that has manifested in the Catholic Church to speak and voice the concerns of citizens. Let’s applaud the church,” Salasya stated.