Veteran politician Johnson Muthama has thrown a wet blanket on the rising hysteria surrounding church-based political violence, dismissing the recent chaotic scenes in pulpits as mere "sideshows" that will have zero impact on the 2027 electoral map.

Responding to warnings from the Pentecostal Voices of Kenya (PVK) about potential election violence triggered by religious intolerance, the UDA stalwart was characteristically blunt. "You cannot shout your way into power from the altar," Muthama told a gathering in Machakos. "Kenyans are too smart to let a thrown chair in a church decide their future."

The Pulpit Wars

The last few months have seen places of worship turn into battlegrounds, with politicians hiring goons to heckle rivals during sermons. The clergy has raised the alarm, fearing this is a dress rehearsal for a violent general election. Muthama’s dismissal of these fears strikes a nerve in a country where religion and politics are dangerously intertwined.

• The Strategy: By downplaying the chaos, Muthama is attempting to shield the ruling coalition from blame, framing the disorder as isolated incidents rather than a systemic failure of law and order.
• The Reality: Security experts disagree. "When you normalize violence in holy places, you remove the last sanctuary of peace in the community," warns analyst Hassan Ole Naado.

Separation of Church and Hate

Muthama called on the clergy to grow a spine and ban all politics from the pulpit. "If a politician wants to speak, give him a microphone outside the gate," he urged. It is a noble suggestion, but in Kenya, where the church offering basket often relies on the politician’s handout, it is a directive easier said than done. The chaos, it seems, is paid for.