Politicians will now have to change tact when lobbying for their manifestos within Catholic sponsored churches across the country.
On Saturday, the association of Catholic Bishops banned political speeches during sermons and outside the church compound, arguing that the move will regulate ethics.
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) said it will not allow the church to be used as a political platform.
“Politicians will not be allowed to address the congregation inside the church. The same will be restricted outside the church,” said KCCB chairman, Bishop Philip Anyolo.
They added, “Political statements will not be allowed during the liturgical celebrations. The church has stopped accepting direct donations from the politicians. Contributions to fundraise for Catholic Church projects will be done via mobile money transfer or by cheques,” said the bishops’ statement.
The latest declaration in Subukia comes amid concerns that the church is becoming a cornerstone of corruption where politicians dump money.
“We wish to move towards cashless donations and for the purpose of accountability, we shall declare in public the list and accounts of our projects and fundraising initiatives in our churches and institutions which will be open to public scrutiny,” said the bishops.
On Sunday, it emerged that deputy president William Ruto is keen to use the church in his bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.
Majority Whip in the National Assembly Ben Washiali, a staunch Ruto ally, says they plan to visit every church in the country before the 2022 General Election.
“We will continue visiting to pray with them for the task ahead of us is not easy except if God goes with us. We have built many churches and mosques in the process,” the lawmaker from Mumias East said Saturday.