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KENYA: Anglican Church Leader Criticizes Politicians over Division and Corruption
By Godfrey Olukya
VOL African Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
January 28, 2021
The Anglican Church in Kenya is at loggerheads with the nation's politicians over the politics of division and rampart corruption in the country.
The Rev. Canon Sammy Wainaina, All Saints' Cathedral Provost, bitterly criticized politicians over the divisions being created among Kenyans brought about by rivalry between the country's president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, and accusations of public funds being stolen as the country heads to 2022 elections. The exposure of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto's behavior is dangerous to the country, he said.
Wainaina warned that the emerging class and tribal politics carries the danger of dividing Kenyans along ethnic and class lines, unless swift action is taken to remedy the situation.
He said that the politics brought about by the two has further widened the gap between the rich and the poor with the latter being referred to as "hustlers" and the rich being described as "dynastic."
The Daily Nation quoted Wainaina as saying, ''This is how anarchy starts and, soon, organized gangs will spring up demanding taxes from these dynasties. At present the Church is silent on what is going on in the country but I will speak out even if I am the lone voice."
He urged politicians and their supporters to stop demonizing and dramatizing the inequality that is inherent in Kenya, instead propose how to fight poverty, which is admittedly well entrenched, without destroying the nation.
The Anglican provost said the false claim being peddled by some politicians that the poor are actually poor because their neighbors, who are relatively less poor, have stolen from them, is fueling violence against the latter.
"With such statements, the perceived ''hustlers'' are convinced that they are eligible to rob innocent people (''dynasties'') whom they perceive own property not through hard work but [through] theft. Drawing from this false claim, some ''hustlers'' now believe that the solution to the problem is to destroy the property of their '''rich'' neighbors. Would this end their miseries? Certainly not," Wainaina argued.
The Rev. Wainaina said President Kenyatta has failed to make the presidency viewed as the symbol of national unity with his statement that two communities cannot rule Kenya forever and that it is time for leaders from other tribes to lead the country.
This, he said, is a recipe for ethnic bigotry and tribalism as it implies that Kenyans can only benefit when one of their own is at the helm of national leadership.
He further criticized the Head of State for publicly admitting that two billion shillings ($18 million) is stolen every day from the government through corruption.
''Who then will save Kenya from self-destruction if the president cannot? No wonder we have become a nation of thieves where everyone wants to become a politician," said the Provost.
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