Government's attempt to stifle contrary opinion deplorable

Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Chairman Maurice Muhatia (seated centre), Bishop Alfred Rotich (left) and Bishop Dominic Kimengich (right) and other bishops during a media briefing in Nairobi, on November 14, 2024. [File, Standard]

We all read with amusement the flurry of statements that were marked 'For immediate release' after the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke last week. Kenya Kwanza and her allies directed a series of epithets directed at Bishop Anthony Muheria specifically and the body of Christ generally. Senior members of this administration discarded all pretence at piety and set their attack dogs on the good man of the cloth. The bishop’s sin was that he had reiterated the obvious: That Kenya Kwanza and its leadership have not responded well to the needs of the people. That a lot of energy is being directed by this administration to play good politics and as such, the bishops counseled that good politics is not what Kenya needs right now. That the country wants instead intelligent policy intervention to avail the necessary help to those whose lot has worsened since Kenya Kwanza came to town shouting “Every hustle matters’’.

This column suggested two weeks ago that Kenya Kwanza looks like a government that has lost its way. That now they can viciously attack a dedicated man of God, as we witnessed this past week, is the clearest confirmation that we are dealing with what our Swahili forebears called “sikio la kufa”. In broad daylight, this administration has rejected the biblical dictate that open rebuke is better than secret love. One single open rebuke and they have gone into self-cannibalisation mode, estranging themselves from the own constituency - the church.

The Kenya Kwanza rebuke by the Catholic bishops is their comeuppance for insinuating that those who voted for other presidential candidates other than William Ruto were not of God. During the President’s first working trip to Seoul, many Kenyans were mortified when a senior member of that delegation implied that they had won the 2022 election in large part because their competitor and the constituency he represented owed its allegiance to a kingdom that is not of God.

It is common knowledge that a government has only three primary functions. To protect the right to life, to safeguard individual liberty and guarantee the right to own property and the attendant privileges. But when Kenya Kwanza came in, rather than focus on these three, a disproportionate amount of time was devoted to evangelising the state in great disregard of the Constitution and good judgment. Its Max Ehrmann who wisely told us to “Believe in God whatever we perceive him to be”.  This underscores the fact that the people themselves reserve the right to choose what to believe in. The Constitution at article 8 equally reiterates the obvious that Kenya would have no state religion.

After the blast that Kenya Kwanza received, first from Bishop Teresia Wairimu and now the Catholic bishops, it should introspect very deeply. We know how the government has frustrated other Kenyans who have spoken out. From having people trail them like they are some criminals to phone bugging in manners believed to be State-sanctioned, to an attempt to attack the character and credibility of such men and women. We also cannot forget about abductions and extra-judicial killings.

The question is, if Kenya Kwanza is unwilling to humbly listen to the clergy, whom will it listen to? Have we extinguished the right to contrary opinion? Do we have to make a fool of ourselves and say there is economic progress, like the third rate propaganda churned out by this regime this past week?

Nobody revels in opposing his own government but as Dante once observed, there comes a time when silence is betrayal. This government promised to invest in manufacturing but it has engaged in massive de-industrialisation of the economy in scales never seen before. We have witnessed unjustified mortalities in hospitals because the roll out of SHIF was not well-thought-out. We will speak out when our government has abandoned the people, threat to ourselves and loved ones notwithstanding. For no one leaves this place alive.

Mr Mwaga the convener Inter-Parties Youth Forum. [email protected]