‘Sisi hatuongei siasa kwa kanisa’ – Wamalwa asks Ruto camp to stop playing politics in churches
By Mary Ouko, April 2, 2023
Former Defence Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eugene Wamalwa on Sunday, April 2, 2023, affirmed that the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition would not discuss politics in church.
While addressing the congregation during a church service in Ruiru, Wamalwa indicated that the coalition respected that the church was a house of God and not a political scene and urged President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza camp to stop playing politics in churches.
“Sisi tukikuja kwa kanisa hatuongei siasa, tunaomba na tunaondoka. Ujumbe huo pia ufikie wenzetu wa upande ule mwingine (When we converge in church we do not talk politics, we pray and leave. We want to send the same message to our rivals on the other side ),” Wamalwa stated while heeding calls from the clergy to refrain from politicking in church.
Notably, a section of the Azimio leaders such as Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua, wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni refrained from politics the entire time they were allowed to speak.
The leaders advocated for peace and harmony amid concerns over heightened political temperatures in the country over the opposition’s calls for anti-government protests.
On her part, Karua noted that peace was a by-product of agreements between two conflicting individuals, she subtly quipped that the only way to calm down the demonstrations was for the government and the opposition to have amicable talks and reach a mutual agreement.
“Kama iko mzozo na watu wanazozana, amani hupatikana sababu wale wamezozana wanasikizana. Hii nchi ni yetu sote, hakuna anayeweza kuondoa mwenzake kwa nchi yake. Tukijua hivyo kila mtu aheshimu mwenzake na kila mtu aheshimu haki za mwenzake,” Karua said.
“Amani hutoka pia kwa wananchi, kila mwananchi ampende jirani yake amtendee yale yeye mwenyewe angependa kutendewa.”
This loosely translates to:
“Whenever there is a conflict between two parties, the aggrieved parties achieve peace when they hold talks and reach a mutual agreement. This country belongs to everyone, no one has the right to exit the other, once we realise that everyone will respect the other.”
“Every citizen should treat the other with respect and do unto the other as they wish was done unto them.”
On his side, Kalonzo affirmed that the coalition would find a peaceful way of handling the current disputes they aired in a manner that maintains peace and stability in the country.