Why Ruto should be wary of Chiluba-like excesses

Tanzanians have shown an unusual interest in the concluded Kenyan elections. There were several vested interests. If the elections failed, elements of the establishment would have justified their 2020 conduct. If they succeeded, the 2020 elections in Tanzania would have been exposed for what they were.

What we got was a masterclass in democracy. There is always this nonsense that Africa needs its democracy. The good people of Kenya demonstrated that there is no such thing as African, Western, or Asian democracy. There is just democracy. Democracy doesn’t work only when you ignore its principles.

In this election, I was not emotionally invested in the success of either candidate. I only desired to see democracy win, for when democracy wins, we all win. But, if I was on the outside looking in, the Zabron Singers’ iconic song Mkono wa Bwana during the inauguration ceremony drew me right in.

Ah, what a masterstroke that was! The lyrics, the vocals, the rhythm – I squeezed every ounce of pleasure from the experience. I tweeted about that as well. But, sadly, my few followers lack the sophistication to appreciate why that tweet had to be liked and retweeted a million times!

Twitter will be the end of civilisation as we know it.

However, concerns about the overrepresentation of evangelicals began to surface. Elections are protracted affairs, and victory can be followed by raucous displays of passion. As a result, victors can be excused for occasionally overplaying their hands.

But before the dust had settled, Kenyans were treated to a tweet by the First Lady the next day, depicting a Christian minister visiting State House. Questions followed. Then another tweet. More questions followed. Then the Sunday Service at State House, with President William Ruto himself leading the praise!

Ian Fleming wrote that once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern. No wonder Kenyans are crying foul. “State capture,” one author wrote. “Unacceptable,” another one declared. What if members of bizarre faiths do the same in the future?

As a Pentecostal, I have observed the movement from within for at least two decades. I would advise Ruto to be careful to avoid the excesses of former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba. Otherwise, he will raise more questions about the integrity of his presidency.

Back in 1991, Chiluba’s landslide victory in Zambia was momentous. Riding on that wave, Chiluba wasted no time in declaring Zambia a Christian nation to the rapturous applause of the people present. A Christian documentary called Breaking the Chains came out in 1995. However, the chains binding Zambians to poverty did not break. Instead, what was broken was Chiluba’s reputation.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ruto, like Chiluba, may have noble intentions, but it is wise for politicians to keep a healthy distance from religion. This does not mean that men of faith should not be active in politics. On the contrary, you do not wish to leave politics to hyenas. Neither should they push their beliefs to the point where the failure of one becomes the failure of the other.

Ruto achieved his victory partly thanks to his successful mobilisation of evangelicals in Kenya. Faith is the greatest motivation for behaviour. In this case, faith trumped tribal ties. As a result, promises were made, and those promises must be kept.

But there appears to be nothing untoward about that arrangement. The risk is not in Ruto’s intentions but the effects of the flaunting of his liberties. What he does may be legally permissible but is politically destructive.

Moreover, Ruto must be aware of the limitations of the movement he belongs to, particularly in this region. Historically, they have not had much exposure to politics. As a result, they do not realise how corrupting power can be. Neither have they fought wars based on religious prejudices. Many of their political ideas have not been challenged enough because they live in intellectual silos.

That is why preachers assert that politics and religion cannot be separated. That is why they think that broadcasting religious services from the state house is courage. That is why they think of State House as an “altar”. Again, they don’t have sinister motives, they just have not thought out the implications of their ideas well.

As powerful a movement as this is, it is not homogeneous. So, often, what you get depends a lot on the groups people belong to. When members of groups that seek to reinvent the wheel, they can inflict unnecessary pain on themselves and others.

It is good to follow best practices. Yes, prayer is vital, and the public should be grateful that the first family upholds traditional values. But that is not a sufficient reason to broadcast every service in the state house to the public. People voted for a president, not a high priest.

The principles of separation of state and religion exist for a reason. Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and render unto God that which is God’s.” Instead of proving that he is the most devout leader in Kenya, Ruto would be wise to focus on governing the nation.

Nations are transformed by the sensible decisions leaders make, not by how pious they are. That is what Kenyans expect from Ruto.