Religious leaders say churches will not be used to sanitize ill-gotten wealth from politicians

Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya Jackson Ole Sapit says that churches will not be used as platforms to sanitise ill gotten wealth from politicians and other congregants.

Sapit spoke on Thursday hours after religious leaders held a consultative meeting with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chairperson David Oginde to discuss ways the two institutions can collaborate to fight corruption in the country.

The religious leaders also undertook to engage their congregations in civil and morality talks against the vice.

“We are not going to use the pulpit as a place where politicians come and champion divisive rhetoric. The church cannot close its doors on anyone but we are segregating the pulpit from the pews and it’s not a place of cleaning ill gotten money that through the church...we are sanitizing and make them look better just because they came through the church,” said Sapit.

Oginde, on his part, added: “We had had a very fruitful consultation and we have experienced very good support from the church and they have promised to stand with us as we fight this vice of corruption in the country. They have also given us insight and wisdom on some things we can do and partner with the church and the religious community because we recognise that the work that we are doing also requires divine intervention.”