ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi now says the church cannot be separated from politics.
In a statement on Monday after a meeting with Nairobi religious leaders, Mudavadi said the church and politics go hand in hand in delivering a better society.
The ANC party leader added that the role of the Church in politics includes guiding believers on leadership matters.
“We cannot separate the church from politics. The two institutions are interdependent. The church has a responsibility of giving direction to its congregation, even on matters politics”.
Present at the meeting with the religious leaders was Nairobi Senator and UDA governor seat aspirant Johnstone Sakaja.
The religious leaders were from the Luhya community.
They used the session to drum support for Sakaja and UDA party presidential candidate William Ruto.
Mudavadi at the same time used the opportunity to attack the NCIC for what he termed as “gagging the freedom of speech”.
“It is at the height of hypocrisy and double-speak for the NCIC to purport to gag free speech through unorthodox means,” Mudavadi said.
“Selective muzzling of free expression would not resuscitate the dwindling political fortunes of the State project come August polls. Tusidanganyane!'”
Mudavadi remarks come days after the NCIC listed some English, Swahili and vernacular phrases that amount to hate speech.
Among the phrases was Ruto’s signature campaign slogan; ‘Sipangwingwi’.
According to NCIC chairman Samuel Kobia, the term contains elements of hate speech against families that have been at the centre of power.
Kobia said the phrase is used to underscore the fact that some families and communities have been at the periphery of national leadership and influence for so long and they no longer want to remain out.
Other words that were banned were fumigation, madoadoa, mende, kama mbaya mbaya and operation linda kura.
NCIC said the terms are now considered hate speech in Kenya.
“The commission wishes to assure Kenyans of its commitment to curbing any form of hate speech to ensure Kenya remains a stable, prosperous and cohesive nation and to deliver on our promise of ‘election bila noma’,” NCIC stated.
On Madoadoa, NCIC said: “The phrase is used to target specific families and communities that have been in power for long, particularly the Luo and Kikuyu”.
