The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), Reverend Thegu Mutahi, has criticised political leaders for engaging in premature election campaigns at the expense of addressing pressing challenges facing the country.
Rev Mutahi said government officials and opposition leaders had already shifted into campaign mode more than a year before the next general election, warning that excessive politicking was diverting leaders from their constitutional responsibilities.
He questioned when meaningful work would be undertaken if elected leaders and government officials spent much of their time traversing the country seeking votes instead of delivering services to Kenyans.
“As a church we are greatly concerned about the happenings in the country. One, it is very irresponsible of our leaders to be campaigning so much a year ahead of the General Elections, yet there are many things that are not done,” he said.
He said the country continued to face serious challenges, including corruption, youth unemployment, insecurity and inadequate infrastructure, which required the attention of leaders.
“We have so many challenges of corruption, youth unemployment, insecurity, and infrastructure not being at its best at all times. You remember the other day we had a very severe power failure, showing that there are things that are not working,” Rev Mutahi said.
He criticised leaders for spending time responding to political rivals and aspirants instead of focusing on their official duties.
“We plead with our leaders to go to their offices and in the field where they are supposed to deliver and not spend a lot of time politicking. It’s not helpful to the country,” he said.
The PCEA moderator also condemned rising political intolerance and divisive rhetoric, warning that inflammatory political language could trigger conflict and undermine national cohesion.
He reminded political leaders of previous episodes of election-related violence and urged them to avoid repeating mistakes that had caused loss of lives and displacement.
“We have made mistakes in this country. We had political clashes a few years back; we had even been taken to the Hague. Didn’t we learn that hate speech is not helpful to a country?” he posed.
Rev Mutahi urged politicians to exercise responsibility and focus on promoting peace and stability as the country prepares for the next general election.
He also criticised recent remarks by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Erastus Ethokon suggesting that prevailing political temperatures could affect preparations for next year’s elections.
Rev Mutahi said statements suggesting possible disruption of electoral preparations risked undermining public confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
“I heard the IEBC chair recently say that seeing the kind of political temperatures there might be a challenge preparing for the elections next year. You know, such statements are made to prepare us for something that is not good,” he said.
He was referring to remarks made by the IEBC chairman during the Ol-Kalou by-election concerning alleged voter bribery.
Rev Mutahi said electoral offences should be investigated and addressed individually rather than being used as a basis for suggesting that elections could be cancelled or electoral timelines altered.
“Let the challenge be arrested. But you cannot use that as a way of preparing us so that you can interfere with the calendar of elections. You know, Kenyans can’t stand that,” he said.
He emphasised that elections were governed by a constitutional framework that should be respected by all institutions.
“We have a constitutional framework of how elections should be done, and that is one that should be adhered to,” he added.
Rev Mutahi spoke in Nyeri on Friday on the sidelines of the first graduation ceremony of Outspan Global University, where 878 graduands received diplomas and certificates in various medical fields.
During the ceremony, the university installed Prof. Marion Mutugi as Chancellor and Prof. Paul Mbugua as Vice-Chancellor.
In a press briefing, Rev Mutahi also raised concerns over recent changes to the university funding model, saying key stakeholders had not been adequately involved in decisions affecting higher education.
He criticised what he termed unilateral government directives and called for broader consultation before implementing major reforms in the education sector.
The cleric warned that abrupt policy changes could create confusion among students, parents and institutions, particularly where they directly affect access to education and financing.
He urged the government to uphold the constitutional requirement for public participation and ensure that all affected stakeholders were given an opportunity to contribute to policy decisions.
“All stakeholders should be involved in such consultations. Involve the church, students, and parents so that we look for the best way of how to deal with the matter,” he said.
He added that changing policies without adequate consultation could create unnecessary challenges for institutions and families.
“Because the moment you just change a mode of doing something, you create a lot of confusion. Let there be public participation, and since it is there in the Constitution, let nothing be enacted without proper consultation, because it’s going to cause a lot of problems,” Rev Mutahi said.
By Wangari Mwangi and Patience Wangechi
