Archbishop Muheria describes Ruto's leadership as 'arrogant, rough, insulting and imposing'

Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria. [File, Standard]

Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria has called for a sane and peaceful style of leadership which he terms crucial in handling the current state of the nation.

Speaking in an interview on Citizen's Sunday Live on July 17, he urged leaders to be calmer in handling issues instead of using threats to communicate.

"We need to recover our humanity. Leadership needs to be humane, empathetic and compassionate. Currently, the leader is arrogant, rough, insulting and imposing. I think we are going to the wrong kind of leadership," he said.

He adds that violence, hatred and threats will not help in solving problems. Instead, political leaders should hold conversations on how to come up with permanent solutions, as advised by religious leaders.

If bipartisan talks take place, Muheria advises that they should focus on the plight of the poor. In as much as taxes are good for the country as a whole, the effect they have on the poor should be discussed.

"I think we need to break it down to how what we are doing is hurting Kenyans especially the ones in the lower bracket. The talk should also involve ways of reforming so that we don't end up here."

It is the duty of the opposition to hold the government accountable, as acknowledged by Muheria, but it is not their role to disrupt the country's normal activities as a way of addressing the government.

Last week, the opposition released a demonstration calendar which reads that protests will take place from Wednesday to Friday starting this week.

However, members of the clergy think it is a wrong move and have requested Azimio leaders to reconsider.

"Kindly reconsider. This is not just about sustainability; it is about the risk we have of losing more lives. The opposition's role is not to paralyse the country. we need to get away from the script that seeks to bring the country to a halt but to a script that brings the issues and rights up for discussion," advised Muheria.

Muheria says, Kenyans, in other words, the led, also have a big role to play in the current state of the nation. Fighting for their rights should not be allied to a political leader or party.

As advised by Muheria, the led need to detach themselves from the love of chaos and embrace the sense of Kenya being a family where we treat each other with love.

"We have instrumentalised misery and poverty and many times weaponised tragedy; when we see something that has gone wrong, we go out with our swords to find a battleground to fight our opponents in a vicious, inhumane way. We need to recover our humanity."