Once again, Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria found himself in the midst of political discourse, this time criticizing President William Ruto's leadership style. In a bold statement, Muheria denounced Ruto's approach as "imposing and arrogant," while urging him to step back and genuinely listen to the concerns of the Kenyan people.
Muheria emphasized the need for a humane and compassionate approach from Ruto's administration, particularly in the face of escalating opposition protests. He expressed his disappointment at the lack of humanity in how political differences were being handled.
"Leadership needs to be humane, empathetic, compassionate. Currently, the leader is rough, insulting, arrogant, and imposing. We are going into a very wrong leadership, which is why religious leaders want to talk," Muheria asserted during an interview on Citizen TV.
Reflecting on recent events, the archbishop lamented how misery, poverty, and tragedy were being instrumentalized and weaponized for political gain. He stressed the importance of reclaiming humanity in the midst of these challenges.
"We have instrumentalized misery and poverty and many times weaponized tragedy; when we see something that has gone wrong, we go out with our swords to find a battleground for fighting our opponents in a vicious, inhumane way. We need to recover our humanity," Muheria passionately expressed.
Meanwhile, the opposition intensified its protests against President Ruto's administration, scheduling another wave of demonstrations for the upcoming Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The previous week's clashes between demonstrators and police resulted in the tragic loss of nine lives and left dozens injured.
In light of these developments, the archbishop called upon the Kenya Kwanza government to engage in dialogue with religious leaders to establish a leadership tone that transcended threats and supremacy battles.
"We want to talk about the leadership style, supporting your agenda, but also that we are one family and even though we think differently, we can sit down. A family’s feuds are not solved by violence, hatred, and insults," Muheria emphasized.
He emphasized the importance of genuine conversation, active listening, and compromise, even in the face of disagreements. Muheria acknowledged that while complete agreement may not always be possible, it should not hinder respectful communication.
Muheria's remarks arrived at a critical juncture, as both political camps maintained firm stances ahead of the three-day protests planned for the following week. Notably, the government had recently taken measures to ban these demonstrations, further escalating tensions between the opposition and the administration.