Eva Nyambura
A Bomet Catholic priest is in the middle of a tempest for publicly backing former Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion for the Bomet senatorial seat.
During the church’s civic education workshop on February 13, Tergat Catholic Parish Priest Fr Ambrose Kimutai sparked a political storm by publicly endorsing Sossion in the fight to unseat Christopher Langat.
“There is no need to waste time talking and trying to decide who should be Bomet’s next senator. I prayed about it and God showed me that Sossion will win the seat. I hereby declare that I will vote for him. I expect the parishioners to follow my lead,” he said.
Read: Wilson Sossion Jumps Ship, Declares Support For DP William Ruto
The man of the cloth added, “Dr Langat once said he was a preacher, as the clergy, we will welcome him and find a church for him to preach in. As for Sigei, we will find him work as the Attorney General (AG) once Deputy President William Ruto ascends to the presidency.”
However, the priest was forced to apologize to the church, the election commission, and the aspirants on Thursday for his provocative remarks.
The apology occurred after Bishop Alfred Rotich of the Kericho Catholic Diocese called Fr Kimutai to a four-hour closed-door meeting at the diocese’s Kericho offices.
Read Also: Wilson Sossion Officially Joins UDA as he Announces Bid to Run for Bomet Senatorial Seat
During the Tergat Catholic parish meeting, Fr Kimutai endorsed and urged the public to vote for Sossion as Bomet’s next senator, he admitted.
“The stand portrayed me as partisan and thus contradict my role as a symbol of unity and compromise my duty and responsibility of fostering peace and harmony based on justice, ” he said.
“I hereby sincerely apologize to the church, to the aspirant and the electorate who have been hurt by sentiments. They are not the position of the Catholic church.”
Also vying for the senate seat is Nairobi-based lawyer Hillary Sigei.
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