The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has cautioned politicians against premature campaigns for the 2027 General Election, warning that early mobilization and inflammatory rhetoric were polarizing the country and risking instability at a time when Kenyans are already overwhelmed by economic hardship.
Church leaders drawn from Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii and Nyamira counties spoke in Kisumu on Wednesday after a two-day regional electoral and governance forum.
They accused political leaders of abandoning service to citizens and instead embarking on what they described as intensive campaigns, hate speech and incitement while the next election is still two years away.
Rt. Rev. Titus Oduokoda, Deputy Chairperson of NCCK in the Nyanza region, said politicians were heightening tensions unnecessarily and ignoring the law.
“We have observed leaders pouring out hate speech with impunity. We strongly rebuke this practice. All political actors must cease provoking Kenyans to violence. If our democracy is to survive, we must enforce discipline in the political field,” he said.
Rev Oduokoda called on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) to take action, including suspending or deregistering political parties whose members engage in incitement.
“We demand that the responsible agencies take swift and severe action against individuals who use hate speech. Any party whose members engage in violence should be punished. Kenyans will not entertain another cycle of politically–sponsored chaos,” he said.
The church leaders said they were disturbed that the country was slipping back into early politicking at a time when many families are battling joblessness, business collapse and rising poverty.
They said unemployment has fueled insecurity in neighborhoods across the region, while cases of suicide linked to financial distress were on the rise.
According to the forum’s resolution, citizens in rural and urban areas are worse off now than they were last year.
On voter registration, NCCK officials expressed alarm that only 90,000 new voters have been listed one month after the national mass registration drive began.
They warned that widespread apathy, especially among young people, would affect the character of future leadership.
“Kenya is a constitutional democracy built on universal suffrage. Failing to register as a voter is a cruel betrayal of the blood of Kenyans who were killed during the 2024 and 2025 demonstrations. The gains they died for will be lost if the youth do not participate,” said Rev. Oduokoda.
NCCK Kisumu County Vice Chair Bishop Dalmas Oleko said majority of residents across the six counties feel the government was not moving the country in the right direction.
“People are suffering. Many have no jobs, businesses are closing, and the cost of living is still too high. Government must listen to citizens, not just politicians,” said Bishop Oleko.
He stressed the need for meaningful public participation in policy and taxation decisions, accusing authorities of engaging citizens only as a formality.
“Public participation must be real. Kenyans want their voices heard. If the country is to move forward, leaders must engage the ordinary mwananchi and not just make decisions in boardrooms,” he said.
The church concluded by urging political actors, state agencies and the public to embrace justice, tolerance and peace as the country begins to drift into another election.
By Chris Mahandara
