Rev. Fr. Dominic Musau, who serves in the Quality
Assurance and Standards Department of the Catholic Diocese of Machakos, speaking
to the press. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO.
Religious leaders have been challenged to go beyond preaching the gospel and take a more active role in promoting national unity, peaceful coexistence and responsible citizenship as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Rev Fr Dominic Musau, who serves in the Quality Assurance and Standards Department of the Catholic Diocese of Machakos, said the church has a critical responsibility of guiding the country through the increasingly divisive political season.
He spoke in Machakos town during the retirement celebration of Taitus Utungo, who is retiring after years of dedicated service as Secretary of the Parish Council at Tathaa Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Machakos.
Fr Musau urged church leaders to use their pulpits to address real-life issues affecting society, including political intolerance, youth empowerment, family values and responsible leadership.
"As you stand in the pulpit, it is not enough to preach only what is written in the Bible. We must also speak about the real issues affecting our society.
Let us encourage our young people to be active, responsible citizens and help build a united nation," he said.
With the country gradually entering the political season, Fr Musau appealed to Kenyans to reject politics of hatred, division and intolerance, saying peace should remain the guiding principle before, during and after the elections.
"As we prepare to vote, let us be sensible, let us be humane and let us respect one another. We all have rights and responsibilities. Let us conduct peaceful elections and let every citizen act responsibly because Kenya is our country whether we are elected or not."
He called upon religious leaders to become champions of peace by consistently preaching unity and reminding Kenyans that political competition should never divide families, communities or places of worship.
Fr Musau said political differences had increasingly created divisions along tribal, family and party lines, warning that such trends threaten national cohesion if left unchecked.
"This is a period when everyone is taking different political directions and divisions have emerged in families, along tribal lines and political parties. We must pray for our leaders and pray that peace prevails because we all belong to one nation."
The priest also challenged church leaders to mentor young people by addressing contemporary social challenges affecting them, including indiscipline in schools, drug abuse and poor decision-making.
Referring to recent incidents of unrest in schools, Fr Musau called on teachers, parents and the church to work together in nurturing responsible citizens.
"Today many young people are losing direction because they are not conscious of the value of the time God has given them. Parents, teachers and the church must work together because the first school is the family."
He particularly appealed to parents, especially fathers, to become more involved in raising their children.
"When we become too busy, we end up creating a good world for young people instead of creating good young people for the world. Let us engage them, pray with them and maintain dialogue with them."
Fr Musau further encouraged Sunday school teachers and church leaders to instill moral and spiritual values in children from an early age, saying strong values remain the foundation of a peaceful society.
Beyond matters of faith, the priest advised both retirees and those still in active employment to prepare adequately for life after work through prudent saving and investment.
"Do not consume every coin you earn. Treat part of your income as a seed for tomorrow. Saving and investing today will give you dignity and stability after retirement."
He encourage retired public servants and professionals to remain active in serving God and society instead of withdrawing from community life.
The celebration honoured Mutungo for his years of committed service to the Church, with Fr Musau describing his retirement as a testament to faithful leadership and selfless service.
"Today we celebrate one of our own who has served God faithfully. God gave him the opportunity, the time and the strength to serve His people and we thank Him for that blessing."
Speaking during the ceremony, Mutungo expressed gratitude to God and the church for giving him the opportunity to serve the faithful over the years.
"I am truly honoured to be retiring today after serving the church for all these years. It has been a great privilege to serve this community and I thank God for the journey and the opportunity."
Mutungo, who has declared his intention to contest the Kivaa ward seat in Masinga constituency during the 2027 General Election, also appealed to fellow politicians and aspiring leaders to conduct peaceful and issue-based campaigns.
"Let us all be civil and mature as we conduct our politics. Let us not divide our people on the basis of religion, tribe or colour. That is not what our people want. At the end of the day, we are all Kenyans."
He added that nation-building is a shared responsibility that requires contributions from every generation.
Taitus Utungo speaking to the press. He is retiring after serving as Secretary of the Parish Council at Tathaa Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Machakos. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Congregants during the retirement celebration of Taitus Utungo./STEPHEN ASTARIK0
Congregants during the retirement celebration of Taitus Utungo./STEPHEN ASTARIKO
