It is wrong to use religiosity to fool voters

Last week, Parliament organised the National Annual Prayer Breakfast. On face value, it was a good display of ‘religiosity’. But the big question remains: Do our politicians walk the talk in matters of religion and prayer? While it is impossible to judge another person’s heart, evidence can be examined.

While many politicians rush to promote religion as an important aspect of their character in every electioneering period, they often fail to walk the talk of religiosity and uprightness. Our political history is littered with politicians who loudly blow the faith trumpet one minute but in the next engage in political actions that contradict the core tenets of religiosity.

It is baffling that some politicians who are ethnic bigots, have pending corruption cases, have been accused of land grabbing, engage in voter bribery and are masters of political thuggery and violence, are also masquerading as champions of faith and ‘fear of The Lord’. Why do politicians like to play the religious card during electioneering seasons? Are voters so blinded and naively trusting that they will believe anyone who seeks their votes in the ‘name’ of the Lord?

Voters should recognise that many politicians put on a show of religiosity while intentionally disobeying key Christian or religious precepts; their faith is only superficial, false or both.

Nobody should judge a person’s heart. But religious beliefs and a person’s conduct can be studied and compared. It’s fine for political candidates to break from religious doctrines but they must then stop campaigning on their ‘piety’, lecturing the public about their ‘religiosity’ and trooping to churches as a gimmick to gain votes.

Granted, many of us are sinners, and we can sympathise with a politician who has often strayed from the narrow road of righteousness. However, political hyenas who wear sheepskin in the name of ‘piety’ should not be tolerated.

Elect leaders based on their fruits, not shallow religious proclamations and temporary display of piety merely meant to hoodwink the voter.

Mr Wagunda is a communications lecturer at Rongo University. [email protected].