THE ROLE OF CHURCH IN STATE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DURING THE KENYATTA ERA, 1963-1978

Abstract

Purpose: The Kenyatta regime generally encouraged the Church state partnership in nation building, and the Church played a great role in education, health, national cohesion and unity. However since the mission of Churches is evangelization, mainline churches greatly laid emphasis on evangelism and individual salvation. The present study concentrates on the state and the role of mainline Churches in nation building and public affairs during the Kenyatta era, 1963-1978.

Methodology: The methodology the study employed is qualitative in nature. The study relied mainly on the analysis of an existing dataset from secondary sources. The data was gathered from technical reports, scholarly journals, reference books, past sermons, church publications, official and unofficial doctrine, theologies and from the Kenya National Archives in Nairobi. Other sources of data collection for the study included official statistics collected by government and the various agencies, bureaus and departments.  The target population for this study was the mainline churches in Kenya and the role these churches played in state and public affairs in Kenya between 1963 and 1978. [What about interviews and questionnaires]

Results: In reviewing the existing relevant literature in the area, the paper argues that, the changes exhibited by the church at the beginning of the 1990s were symptoms of the new ideological flashpoint in the post-Cold War era.  The transformations that were taking place in African societies meant that it was more urgent than ever to understand the role of religion in political processes. In the post-independence period the Christian-capitalist separation of state and church was deemed to be of fundamental importance in the development of modern centralized states. African rulers concentrated primarily on remaining in power and officially, but certainly secondarily, on building socially cohesive, economically successful polities.

Unique contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that the government should put in place laws that would involve the church in government matters. This can be done by introducing motions into parliament that advocate for the direct involvement of the church. This would involve laws which ensure that a portion of all members sitting in any committee represents the church.