Who Would Christ Vote for in Kenya’s Next Election? I Think I Know!
Dr. Teddy KamauChrist commanded his disciples to, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s,” thus making a political statement within a Divine mandate. Then Paul the Apostle made similar political statements but from a philosophical perspective, “Every man must be subject to the rulling authority, for there is no authority outside of God’s, and all is ordained by God.” They both made these very positively political affirmations about institutions that later crucified them! The question is whether they both injected their political idealism to support secular government.
As a pastor’s kid, these issues dominated my home. I grew up in the church! Literally! Sunday School, battalion, primary school CRE. … etc, etc. My father held a Bible study for us every evening. He read the Bible, and when he was not in the mood, he gave the text to one of us to read. Then, of course that would be followed by a five-minute sermon. He and my conservative christian mother, Harriet, never failed to vote. My father always tried to convince my mother to vote for his candidate. To which she would calmly respond, “You vote for your friend, and I will vote for the person who satisfies my conscience.” He would argue that being the head of the house, he thought that biblically he had a role to play in the family’s voting practices. My mother believed that his power ended at the entrance to her conscience. In other words, she never voted his way.
Kenya is the most Christian nation in the world. Every radio station, even the heathen KISS FM, becomes Christian on the weekends. KBC has always advocated Christian programs. Wimbo Niupendao, Singing I go, Sacred music and Makanisa Weeki Hii with Wanjiku Boro were dominant before 1998. So this is expected from KBC. But Citizen TV, KTN, NTV, K24, and their radio station affiliates also, turn their Sunday productions into church services and a Gospel marathon. Inoro, Coro, and Kameme constantly mix secular music with Christian Gospel music, and have sermons daily!
Therefore, you would expect Jesus Christ to be featured in the upcoming elections. In fact looking at William Ruto, Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila O’dinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Musalia Mudavadi and others kneeling down for anointing, you would think Kenya is a theocracy. But again speaking to poor women at Soko Mjinga who cannot pay their children’s school fees, or visit schools that have no windows or ceiling, or the hospital in Malanga, Kilifi, where women give birth on the cement floor, or Naivasha Hospital where patients’ families are encouraged to bring food for their dying loved ones, or the luck of public toilets within the city, you think again about Christ’s presence in Kenya. Then you remember that these “God-fearing” Parliamentarians are receiving millions in salaries and millions are going to their friends who head the commissions, which by the way do absolutely nothing. After visiting Kenya and seeing the misery of so many people in Kibera and Mathare, my American friend told me that God left Kenya after independence! I said, “What?”
As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I have seen Christ in Kenya, such as at Mai Mahiu when He accompanied young people to give food to the IDPs. Another day I saw Him accompanying a woman who was feeding young orphans in Eldoret whose parents died during the post-election violence. I also met him at Chepkoilel University sitting among 1,500 university students during their Sunday Service. Therefore, I can truly say that He is in Kenya and has been there since before independence in Manyani Prison where he accompanied Pastor Johannah Nyenjeri as an evangelist to the Mau Mau detainees. Therefore, I know that He will be lined up with millions of Kenyans in the coming elections to cast his vote. Personally, I would like to enter with Him in the voting booth. Then I would vote for His candidate. And I think I know who that is:
By Teddy Njoroge Kamau, PhD, SYR/Radio/TV, Director, International Desk
