Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi and other political figures were dealt a blow on Sunday, April 13, after a presiding bishop at a Githunguri church denied the politicians a chance to address the congregation amid the escalating political climate.
Sudi was among several political dignitaries at a PCEA Githaithi church in Githunguri for a function to raise funds for a new church building.
While it was largely expected that the political figures would address the crowd, this was not the case, with the bishop Peter Kinyanjui making it clear that there would be no political addresses before the congregation.
"As you have seen in the country in recent months, the PCEA church was in fact among the first to say that politicians should not speak at the pulpit," the bishop said.
He went on to use the Kapseret lawmaker as an example of how politicians tend to divert the attention of the congregation by switching agendas in church.
He added, "Why? Because politicians will bring other agendas. For example, if I bring out Sudi, he will speak on other issues, and the church sermon will be forgotten."
The bishop once again took aim at Sudi as he cautioned the lawmaker against publicising his donation pledges.
In the wake of the Bishop's sentiments, Sudi, who was at the centre of reverend Kinyanjui's warning, was seen speaking in the bishop's ear, presumably asking for a chance to briefly address the congregation.
Despite the bishop's earlier warning, Sudi was ultimately given the chance to speak, and he admitted the ban on politicians from speaking in church was largely the politicians' own doing.
"Bishop you've enforced what I have been thinking of all this while," the lawmaker said, adding, "And it is us politicians who have spoilt it for ourselves because we talk politics in church."
"But let me just reiterate, maybe the bishop does not know me but I am a Christian. What you have done is right and it is us politicians who ruined everything by speaking politics in church."
According to Sudi, political figures had an agreement prior to the church function on Sunday that there would be no political talk throughout the entire service.
Interestingly, despite being prohibited from publicising their donations, some of the politicians' pledges were announced before the congregation after Sudi's brief address, which appeared to have eased tensions between the politicians and church elders.
The PCEA Githaithi church incident was similar to one in March 16, when former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, his new-found ally Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja were banned from speaking at ACK Church service in Makadara.
At the time, ACK Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit announced there would not be a public address by politicians inside the church, adding that politicians will henceforth be banned from speaking in all ACK churches and would not tolerate political addresses inside their 'sanctuaries' going forward.
