BONYO'S BONE: The Damascus roundabout

Religious organizations in Kenya have, for decades, stood out as pillars of conscience. They weren’t just saving souls; they were saving the nation.

During the struggle for multiparty democracy, the church marched shoulder to shoulder with the young Turks. And in the push for a new Constitution, they were the nation’s moral compass.

Kenya’s history is rich, replicable even, with unforgettable moments where religious leaders led from the front. Chaplains of liberation. Bishops of justice. Imams of truth.

But sadly, the story today is different. In the last five years, the once-booming prophetic voice of Kenya’s religious organizations has grown faint, almost drowned out completely where it matters most.

The thunderous voices of Bishop Alexander Muge, Bishop Henry Okulu, Reverend Timothy Njoya, Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki, Sheikh Khalid Balala are now more history lessons than guiding lights.

Globally, religion has always been a force, critiquing injustice, mobilizing citizens, challenging state power, and championing democratic reform.

Yet here at home, religious bodies have slipped into a troubling silence, an era of seeing no evil, speaking no evil, and hearing no evil. And even when they do speak, the voices are scattered, timid, and easily lost in the political noise.

Where are the stinging sermons on social justice? Where are the fiery scriptural reflections on governance and integrity? Where is the pulpit that once rattled the state and awakened the public?

Yes, one could argue that Kenya today is not Moi’s KANU era. But religion doesn’t only respond; it shapes consciousness. That is the essence of Kairos theology. That is the spirit of prophetic ministry.

Allow me to take you back to the Kenyan Kairos Document of 1991, a bold, theological reflection on the state of the nation. It confronted corruption, ethnicity, human rights abuses, electoral malpractice, and economic injustice. It was a moral mirror and a rallying call.

Dear religious leaders, you can still reclaim that prophetic role. The Damascus moment is not lost. Kenya is still yearning for a unified, unwavering moral voice.

It cannot be that your voices rise only when your interests are threatened, loud at fundraisers, silent on national crisis. You must rise above partisan comfort and speak when it is necessary, not just when it is convenient.

Revive the Kairos spirit. Dust off the document anchored at NCCK. Let it guide your sermons, your pastoral letters, your collective conscience.

Because Kenya cannot afford a silent pulpit. Not now. Not when corruption thrives, inequality widens, and public morality is tested daily.

Find the prophetic fire again. Let every sermon challenge the preacher and the congregation alike. This is your watershed moment, redefine your mission and reclaim your identity as theologians of the people, for the people, with the people.