By Andrew Kariuki
Catholic bishops have sharply criticised President William Ruto, DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and Jubilee leader Fred Matiang’i over what they described as growing verbal indiscipline and public insults among political leaders.
Speaking during the reception ceremony of Joseph Mwongela as Coadjutor Bishop of Machakos, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba, on behalf of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for restraint and decorum in public discourse, warning that the tone of political engagement in the country was becoming increasingly troubling.
The Archbishop said the conduct of leaders was not only disappointing but also damaging to the image of leadership in the eyes of citizens, particularly young people.
“We want to call for restraint and decorum in public speaking. And we call upon leaders, especially political leaders, to exercise restraint. The children listening to you are shocked. The young people listening to you are traumatised,” he said.
He noted that many Kenyans were struggling to identify with leaders who engage in public insults, describing such conduct as a poor reflection of leadership.
“The adults listening to you are embarrassed. You are a poor representation of our generation. And we are struggling to identify with you,” he added.
Archbishop Muhatia further warned that when leaders insult each other publicly, they do not only disrespect one another but also the citizens they represent.
“When you publicly insult each other in front of citizens, you don’t just disrespect each other, you disrespect the citizens as well,” he stated.
He urged leaders to exercise self-control, emphasizing that not every thought should be expressed publicly.
“Not everything that crosses your mind must drop on your lips. Please exercise restraint. This country belongs to more than 50 million Kenyans and not only to yourselves,” he said.
The bishops described the rising use of inflammatory language as a sign of deeper issues within the political space, warning that it undermines national unity and dignity.
“You can disagree with people without insulting them. Disagreement is okay, but insulting each other in public is a disgrace,” the Archbishop said.
In a pointed remark, he urged leaders to take their personal disputes away from the public if they must engage in insults.
“If you want to insult each other, look for some bunker underground… go there, insult each other and when you finish, come back and join us in nation building,” he said.
The clergy maintained that while they respect and support national leaders, such conduct risks embarrassing the country and eroding public confidence in leadership.
“We love our country. We love our leaders. But not when you do things like the ones you are doing. You are embarrassing this great nation,” he said.
The remarks come amid escalating political tensions marked by public exchanges between top leaders, raising broader concerns about the tone of political discourse in Kenya.
