Archbishop Muheria expresses concern over gov't, opposition standoff

Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria has called for a humane and compassionate way of handling tension between the government and the opposition.

Speaking to Citizen TV on the Sunday Live program, Muheria expressed concern over the government which he described as arrogant and imposing.

“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,” he said.

And as opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition maintains that the anti-government protests which have led to the death of over a dozen people countrywide will continue this week, the archbishop noted a lack of humanity in how Kenyans handle political differences.

“We have instrumentalised misery and poverty and many times weaponised tragedy; when we see something that has gone wrong, we go out with our swords to find a battleground to fight our opponents in a vicious, inhumane way. We need to recover our humanity,” Muheria said.

According to the archbishop, there is a need for the Kenya Kwanza administration to engage with members of the clergy for discussion on how to set a good leadership tone devoid of threats and supremacy battles.

“We want to talk about the style of leadership, 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 noted.

“We sit, chat, talk to one another with true listening, and then we concede and find a compromise. Sometimes we may not agree, but we don’t let that build bad manners,” he added.

The archbishop’s comments came just a day after President William Ruto said the government will not continue watching a few individuals take advantage of the constitutional provisions to cause anarchy and kill the economy and business of Kenyans in the name of protests.

Speaking at a function in Karachuonyo, Homa Bay County on Saturday, Ruto said the government is going to mobilize all available resources to protect the lives of Kenyans.

He warned the opposition to prepare for a tough war ahead of their planned three-day demonstrations this week over the high cost of living.

"I respect everyone and no one should blame me when I begin doing my work. Nitafanya kazi yangu kwa bidii tena," the president noted.

"Or else, we must have a conversation to understand want is maandamano," he added then.