{UAH} Pojim/WBK: GAITHO: Yes, Kenyans get the ‘prophets’ they deserve, for they anoint - Opinion | Daily Nation

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GAITHO: Yes, Kenyans get the 'prophets' they deserve, for they anoint - Opinion

Our rogue pastorpreneurs (Confession: Borrowed this term from a Facebook conversation) have been much in the news lately.

Kenyans have been united in righteous indignation against the auto-homicide saga involving Apostle James Ng'ang'a, proprietor of the Neno Evangelism enterprise, and the way an irredeemably corrupt Kenya Police Service was compromised to defeat justice.

The week opened with the story of yet another enterprising Man of God, 'Bishop' Thomas Wahome of the rather notorious and queerly-named Helicopter Ministries, having earlier been let off after his vehicle ran over a pedestrian.

The almost universal condemnation of the excesses of our holy-roller evangelists running extortionist churches has been a long time coming. Yet these self-proclaimed Apostles, Bishops, Pastors, Prophets did not grow to fame and wealth in a vacuum.

The charlatans rose to those heights because Kenyans placed them there.

They may be quacks, cons, liars, fornicators and outright thieves, but they command the blind loyalty of millions of Kenyans, who listen to their every word and lavish them with the money that allows them to lead princely lifestyles.

Desperate, poor, hungry, confused Kenyans labour under the false belief that they are investing in God's work and will be rewarded with untold wealth right here on earth.

These spiritual frauds do not exist on the margins of society; they have entered the mainstream. It has been reported that Cord co-principal and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was an honoured guest at Pastor Ng'ang'a's wedding.

Many of us flinched when 'Dr Prophet' David Owuor attracted Jubilee candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and Cord candidate Raila Odinga, together with their respective running mates William Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka, at a prayer rally ahead of the 2013 elections. Uhuru of course went on to win the presidential elections while Raila took his place as leader of the Opposition.

A few years prior to that, the controversial faith-healing, fire and brimstone preacher subjected Mr Odinga to a full-immersion baptism at some swimming pool. Mr Odinga, Prime Minister at the time, no less, came out of the ducking gasping for breath and looking rather disoriented.

One of the most famous of our prosperity preachers 'Bishop Dr'  Margaret Wanjiru was MP for Starehe and a key Nairobi operative for Cord, until she 'saw the light' post-elections and crossed over to President Kenyatta's winning team.

Bishop Arthur Kitonga, who will happily consecrate to the likes of Goldenberg scandal architect Kamlesh Pattni, had also wormed his way into the good books of President Moi's regime, where he was something of an unofficial spiritual advisor.

I hear it from the grapevine that even President Kenyatta's State House now has an official spiritual advisor. 

Anyway, the point is that the Ng'ang'as, Kanyaris, Owuors, Wanjirus, the helicopter preacher and the other character of 'bent mouth' infamy are not rebels and criminals.

They are successful members of a wicked, corrupt, immoral society that worships wealth irrespective of its sources.

We will honour and applaud thieves, conmen, politicians and preachers who have 'made it', caring little that their wealth comes from our own pockets.

We willingly elect convicted felons to Parliament just as we pack to the rafters churches we know are just commercial enterprises devoted to making us poor.

We should, therefore, not complain when the fellows we elect to political leadership and the ones we propel to spiritual leadership start to misbehave. We get the leaders we deserve.

            ***
I did not know whether to laugh or cry on hearing Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba and NGO Coordination Board chairman Fazul Mohammed question why some civil society groups had been allowed into a meeting with US President Obama.

The days of any groups needing government 'clearance' to attend such gatherings ended with the one-party dictatorship.

This might be beyond Mr Mohammed's ken, he being a Jubilee lackey, but, for God's sake, Mr Namwamba is Secretary-General of a key opposition party, ODM! 

mgaitho@ke.nationmedia.comTwitter: @MachariaGaitho

GAITHO: Yes, Kenyans get the 'prophets' they deserve, for they anoint - Opinion | Daily Nation
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