“Very Unfortunate” Catholic Bishop in Kenya Cautions Politicians against Disrespecting Places of Worship

Wote, 03 February, 2026 / 2:37 AM

The Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wote Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe has cautioned politicians against showing disrespect to places of worship, warning that such actions amount to mocking God and undermining the sanctity of the Churches in Kenya.

On January 25, former deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, claimed there was an attempt on his life during a Sunday church service at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, after tear gas was reportedly thrown inside the church, causing chaos and disrupting worship. 

Gachagua alleged that armed police officers attacked the congregation, damaged vehicles, and later set his car on fire, accusations he linked to the government, though without presenting evidence.

In his Sunday, February 1 homily, Bishop Kamomoe described the incidents as “very unfortunate,”  lamenting what he termed as growing contempt for church sanctuaries by some political leaders.

The Bishop cited events witnessed in Nyeri as a clear example of disrespect toward the house of the Lord.

“We do not want the disrespect we saw in Nyeri, because the leaders of this country don’t respect the sanctuaries of the Lord,” the Bishop said  during the Family Day celebration Mass at Blessed Benedict Daswa Catholic Church in Tassia in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN).

The Catholic Bishop expressed concern over the level of hypocrisy by some politicians in the places of worship, saying, “How can they defile the sanctuary of the Lord? And they still claim to love and to know God. That is mocking God, that is contempt, which is very unfortunate, and if they don’t change, they will see the results.

“We have to defend our church like Blessed Benedict. We must defend the teaching of the church. That is what it means to be poor in spirit,” he added.

Blessed Benedict Daswa was a South African catechist, teacher, and father of eight who was martyred in 1990 for his Christian faith after refusing to participate in practices linked to witchcraft. 

Born in 1946 and converted to Catholicism as a teenager, Daswa became a respected educator and parish leader in rural Limpopo.

His firm opposition to paying a sorcerer to stop storms led to his brutal killing, during which he prayed and entrusted his life to God. Recognized by the Church as a martyr, he was beatified on 13 September 2015, becoming the first South African-born Catholic to be beatified and a powerful witness to faith, courage, and forgiveness.

In his homily, the Bishop also drew lessons from the life of Blessed Benedict Daswa, and cautioned against idolatry.

“Benedict Daswa was killed because of witchcraft, because he told people to be poor in spirit. When you start believing in other things, witchcraft, wealth, then you have now created other gods,” the Catholic Bishop, who began his Episcopal ministry in the ADN in April 2024 before his appointment to the Diocese of Wote in July 2025 said.

The Bishop who serves as the Apostolic Administrator of Wote Diocese mentioned some of the things that people worship, such as waiting on the political class to support in building the house of the Lord, describing it as “witchcraft.”

“If you believe in superstition, you are saying that those other gods are more powerful than your God. The devil crept in slowly, and the devil convinced you. Let us also examine ourselves and ask what things we are doing that go against our faith and are witchcraft,” the Bishop said.

“Witchcraft is anything, even thinking that politicians are the ones who will help us build the Church. As the Catholic Church, we say we don’t need you. We can do our projects with our God,” he explained.