Pulpit to Parliament: The Floodgates to Hell

It is all systems go as Kenyan men and women of the collar outdo each other in the mad rush into the murky waters of politics. The present scenario has proved a godsend opportunity in unmasking the plastic philanthropic posturing and religious tokenism from these pseudo shepherds.

It is one thing to have the luxury of spew opinionated sermons from the sanctity of the pulpit without any criticism. On the other hand, the political world is a different kettle of fish where the immunity offered by the pulpit is nothing but a rumour. A thick skin to stinging criticism is a must to stay a float in the political marsh.

The thin-veiled selfishness hidden under overt commercial considerations couldn't have provided rich fodder for potential political opponents. As the adage goes, the good deeds are interred with your exit from the pulpit and only your nasty side becomes your permanent shadow haunting every move you make.

Church must have known better the wisdom in perfecting the call of seek ye the economic kingdom first and the rest shall follow. After ripping their vulnerable congregations for years, it appears timely to invest in the only profession were serving selfish personal interest remains the roadmap to prosperity. It is harvest time for the enterprising prophets and prophetesses after cleverly tricking gullible Kenyans to sow faithfully for years.

Their blings and trademark garments would make the Arturs look like experts in Mutumab camera shoppers at Gikomba. The eloquent kings and queens of the pulpit can afford to shout themselves hoarse while permuting very few biblically catchy phrases. And before the hallucinated crowd shouts amen in unison, they find themselves religiously digging deeper in their pockets and purses for the last note (no coins please) to reward using the hot air with the speaker now foaming at the mouth.

It is now time to raise the stakes and the self-proclaimed servants of God, have a higher calling. Being neither foolish not geniuses, they expect nothing but unadulterated transfer of loyalty from the church to the political platform and into the voting booth.

Make no mistake, the Muirus, Wanjirus and Musyimis of these world are not naïve and they know grab the first opportunity when they see one beckoning miles away. Granted, they have all the constitutional right to seek any elective post in Kenya. But that said, they must be prepared to have their acts under the most powerful microscope once out there. There is no free lunch and theirs is a true baptism with fire.

To give credit where it is due, some of these collar men (no known woman) played a significant opposition role to Moi's dark era. Their courage and charisma is an asset to very few and stood tall. However, some of them can escape the scrutiny radar. Their consistency in being watchdogs has been left wanting since 2003, to say the least.

To feather their nests and make optimal political capital under the hallowed cover of the church, they have unwittingly pierced their moral balloons by supping with politicians. In accepting to serve two masters (church and politics) they have literally spread themselves too and the focus for the wide good lost in the process as evident in their occasional shameless pandering to the whims of the ruling elite. An example to demonstrate this is Rev. Musyimi and his role in the (anti)corruption steering committee. Call it what you may but his committee is a political appointment with nothing to show for it despite the obscene budget.

True, we need a break from the tired and tested political lot and if Mutava can breathe new lease of life into our leadership then why not. But the caveat remains his reasons for joining politics must be objective and above reproach. But Rev Mutava and his ilk are merely joining the ranks of other self-seekers with the belief in being rewarded for fighting injustice then the good people of God are playing Russian roulette with their morals and integrity that was painstakingly built over the years.

We maybe headed to either the political Canaan or abyss depending on what these political aspirants have up their sleeves. We only overlook the corrupt nature of our politics at our collective national peril. On an optimistic note we must start from somewhere and can only remain vigilant with our eyes wide open and ears firmly on the ground to see what change they bring to the political table. Kenyans may be just producing saviours or political mercenaries depending on what these aspirants’ political entry points are anchored on.