The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) has announced a total ban of politics inside all its churches countrywide.
However, the church says it will fully recognise politicians and any other leaders who will attend church service as public figures as a sign of respect to such leaders.
“From today going forward, we will not hand any politician a microphone in all our Anglican churches countrywide. However, we will fully recognise them as fellow faithful and accord them the respect they deserve as our leaders,” said the Anglican church Archbishop, Jackson Ole Sapit on Sunday.
Archbishop Sapit was addressing congregation at the St. Stephen’s ACK Cathedral in Nairobi, where Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper Party Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja had attended the Sunday service at the Church.
The church witnessed an unprecedented shift in policy after Archbishop Sapit barred, Kalonzo and Sakaja among other politicians from addressing the worshippers.
The three leaders, who had attended the service expecting to be given an opportunity to speak, remained seated as the Archbishop made it clear that politicians would no longer be allowed to take the microphone in any ACK church across the country.
“We are not shutting our doors for politicians. However, this is the church bold move that politicians will not be allowed to address congregants in any ACK churches countrywide,” reiterated Archbishop Sapit.
The move by the Anglican Archbishop has elicited mixed reactions countrywide with a section of Kenyans backing the move while others stating that the policy should cut across.
“We are waiting to see if President William Ruto and his now close ally in the government Raila Odinga will be denied the chance to address congregants in the ACK churches,” said some Kenyans and mostly the Gen-Z
In the past years mostly during electioneering period, the ACK has been issuing such stern notices, however, they were not executed and politicians flocked the churches campaigning and dishing out millions of shillings.
Recently the Catholic church asked the President to take his millions of shillings to the needy and not to recklessly dish out such huge amounts of money at the expense of suffering Kenyans.
The Catholic church had earlier returned President William Ruto’s Ksh.5 million stating that there are many needy Kenyans who needs various humanity projects that will alleviate their suffering.
