Ichung'wah cautions the clergy over engaging in political matters

Speaking when he joined President William Ruto for the funeral service of the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo in Baringo County, Ichung'wah noted that the church leaders had forsaken their core duty of teaching the Word and instead turned their attention toward the political arena. 

He questioned why they did not speak out when ills befell the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) but are now opposing the Social Health Authority (SHA), touted as one of President William Ruto's legacy projects. 

"We have seen recently that there are those who have shelved the work of providing spiritual nourishment and began infiltrating in politics," he said. 

“When money was being stolen from NHIF, we never heard them protesting about our rights or about that debt. It is now when the new Social Health Authority (SHA) has inherited that debt that we are starting to hear these noises."

The lawmaker urged the clergy to focus on 'doing the Lord's work' instead of involving themselves in political matters. 

"I pray that those in church to return to doing the Lord's work and leave the rest to us."

Ichung'wah's remarks reignite the storm between the church and the state over the country's state of affairs. 

In November last year, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) called out Ruto’s administration for failing to fulfill its promises, warning it to stop its 'culture of lies.'

In a rejoinder, Ruto cautioned the clergy to be factual when engaging in public discourse. 

"Even as we engage in public discourse on matters that are important to the people of Kenya, we must be careful to be factual lest we become victims of the things we accuse others of doing," he said.