Archbishop of the Good News Church of Africa (GNCA) Rev. Raphael Nzuki Kituva. 
By Fredrick Kioko.
The Archbishop of the Good News Church of Africa (GNCA) Rev. Raphael Nzuki Kituva has challenged Kenya’s opposition parties to settle on a presidential candidate by the end of September 2026, saying early nomination would give Kenyans sufficient time to scrutinise the contenders ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during the GNCA Conference at Nthangu on Thursday, Archbishop Kituva said while the Kenya Kwanza side had already made it clear that President William Ruto would seek re-election, the opposition remained uncertain over who would carry its presidential ticket.
He urged opposition leaders to end what he described as “yumba yumba” politics and present their preferred candidate early enough for Kenyans to make an informed decision.
“Nataka candidate atolewe mapema. Kuna hawa wa alternative government wanasema wana yumba yumba, wanangojea. Nawaambia wapatiane candidate wao mapema ndio tuwe na nafasi ya kuangalia,” said Kituva.
The church leader said the opposition should not wait until the last minute to unveil its presidential candidate, proposing the end of September as the deadline.
“Wale wa UDA, wale wako serikalini wametuambia ni William Samoei Ruto. Huyo tumejua. Lakini hawa wengine wanayumba yumba. Mimi nawaambia wasi yumbeyumbe. Mwisho iwe ni end of September. Watupatie candidate mapema,” he said.
The Archbishop also warned against allowing politicians to determine who Christians and other Kenyans should support, saying the church intended to play a more active role in guiding the electorate during the next election.
He used the biblical story of River Jordan to caution against being misled by political leaders, arguing that some Kenyans had previously followed political advice only to discover later that they had been led in the wrong direction.
“Hatutaki sasa kuongozwa na wanasiasa kwa kuambia ni nani bora kuliko mwingine. Wakati huu kanisa itasimama,” Kituva said.
He added: “Maana last time tulishangaa kusikia ati walienda, walipofika Mto Jordan, wakapata crocodiles. River Jordan haina crocodiles. Kwa hivyo tuliongozwa na watu wakatudanganya.”
Kituva said the church would seek to distinguish between genuine political paths and those that could mislead voters, urging church leaders to take greater responsibility in the electoral process.
He further called on political leaders and other stakeholders to focus on preventing electoral malpractice rather than waiting until after the election to complain about stolen votes.
“Ningeomba watu wa Kenya, na sana sana viongozi wa makanisa, wasituambie kura imeibiwa. Fanya kile unaweza kufanya sasa ili isiibiwe,” he said.
Kituva urged both those in government and those in the opposition to avoid creating a narrative of stolen elections and instead work within the law to safeguard the integrity of the 2027 electoral process.
“Ikiwa wewe unaamini kuibiwa kura kutoka kwa competition, maana huwezi. Kwa hivyo naomba wale ambao wanahusika, wale wako mamlakani na wale wako nje, tuisiongee mambo ya kuibiwa. Arrange in a way that the votes will not be stolen,” he said.
The Archbishop’s remarks come as political parties and formations position themselves for the 2027 presidential contest, with the opposition yet to settle on a single candidate, while President Ruto has emerged as the declared candidate on the Kenya Kwanza side.
