Bishop Hudson Ndeda has criticized Kenya’s political class, saying Parliament has become the weak link in national leadership.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Monday, he warned that politicians are driven by money and 2027 ambitions, not service.
Ndeda urged churches to intensify civic education and called on Kenyans to demand accountability ahead of the next election cycle.
In an interview, he said he had previously prophesied that the church would soon speak loudly on national issues, a prediction he says has now come to pass.
“When I was here, I said you will hear more from the church because I could see so much that the church should speak about,” he said.
“The church is supposed to speak for the voiceless, the poor and the suffering.”
He dismissed suggestions that recent strong statements from various church groups were coordinated, insisting the clergy were simply compelled by duty.
“The state should not interfere with church matters,” he said. “They should concentrate on doing what people elected them to do.”
Turning his attention to legislators, the bishop criticised the August House, saying, “We don’t have to blame the President so much. We need to target the Members of Parliament because they are the ones coming up with bogus bills. I’m yet to see why this Parliament was elected.”
Ndeda accused MPs of abandoning public service for personal gain. “Politicians get into office thinking of two things, how they will make money and how they will win the next election,” he said. “Right now they are thinking of how to win again in 2027.”
He questioned their priorities, claiming many had traded integrity for financial inducements. “We hear they are bribed, even 20,000 or 10,000 to pass a bill. A person earning over a million is salivating for Sh10000, what kind of leader is that?” he asked. “These people are politicians, they are not leaders.”
The bishop argued that Kenya suffers from a serious leadership deficit. “We have a lot of politicians in Kenya, but we don’t have leaders,” he said. “Leaders think of the people who elected them and how best to improve their lives.”
He dismissed street protests as an unreliable barometer of public sentiment. “Never take maandamano serious in this country,” he said. “Those are sycophants of politicians. For a few 500 shillings somebody will make noise on the street from morning to evening.”
According to him, many of the loudest protesters do not vote and cannot influence electoral outcomes.
“Most of them have no votes. They are not voters,” he said. Instead, he urged Kenyans of reason to step forward, adding, “We just need to pray. Kenyans should come up and say it is enough, we want to move our country to the next level.”
On the youth vote, Bishop Ndeda said substantial civic education is urgently needed. “What is lacking is civic education on the importance of an election,” he said. “If we treat an election serious, then we will have very little to complain about.”
He added that demonstrations alone cannot deliver lasting change.
“We will not make a difference on the street only,” he warned. “If we want to make change, then we need to go and vote.”
The bishop also expressed concern about national preparedness for the 2027 elections, citing the performance of electoral and security institutions in recent by-elections.
“I looked at IEBC and asked myself, suppose it was a general election? These small units were too difficult for them to handle,” he said.
Bishop Ndeda reaffirmed his belief that solutions can be found in scripture.
“The Bible is an answer to every question and every problem. I will always find the solution somewhere in the Bible,” he said.
