The country’s political landscape is often heated but quite a few voices cut through the noise with moral clarity like Archbishop Anthony Muheria.
Known for his measured yet firm rebukes, the Archbishop of Nyeri has become a moral compass, unafraid to confront the Kenya Kwanza administration when he believes the government is straying from its duty to the people.
Here are five times Muheria spoke truth to power, making headlines and sparking national conversations.
1. The government is not an advertising agency
The entire Kenya Kwanza political machinery trailed its guns at Archbishop Muheria after he hit them below the belt with remarks that are still reverberating across the political landscape.
On Friday, February 22, 2025, Muheria took aim at President William Ruto’s administration for what he described as excessive self-promotion at the expense of tangible development.
He coined the term ‘govertisement’ to describe what he perceived as excessive government advertising and urged leaders to focus on implementing policies rather than engaging in rhetoric.
“There has to be less rhetoric. We have to stop advertising and act. The government seems to be constrained to an advertisement of government, advertisement of government projects, advertisements of plans. Government is not an advertising agency. It is an agency that implements actions. That’s what we want to see,” Muheria said.
“Stop advertising what we should do, will do, or have done. Instead, focus on mobilising people, resources, and experts. We have great capacity, even within our leadership in government, to deliver—especially for the poor,” he added.
The government’s top officials quickly rebutted while speaking at the burial of Mzee Kingi Mwaruwa Mkweha, father to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, in Kilifi County.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and others were quick to slam Muheria.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki also defended the government’s communication strategy, but the Archbishop’s words had already resonated across the nation.
2. Healthcare in crisis
The transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) was aimed at enhancing healthcare services.
However, it has sparked a crisis, with patients raising concerns over the new health cover’s inability to operate as effectively as its predecessor.
Archbishop Muheria has been at the forefront of criticising SHA’s inefficiencies.
In November 2024, Muheria accused the government of being out of touch with the plight of Kenyans.
Speaking in Nyeri at the canonisation mass of Father Joseph Aramano, Muheria took a swipe at the Kenya Kwanza government for making policies with no regard to how they would affect the poor.
“We are competing in showing power; our leaders are thinking way too much about their image and their future and not thinking about the image of the poor,” he said.
Adding that; “With the shift of NHIF to SHIF, we don’t seem to have had that thought of the sick, people who die because they can’t get services.”
On Friday, February 21, 2025, Muheria lamented that faith-based hospitals are struggling to stay afloat due to more than Ksh250 million in unpaid claims, a crisis he said worsened with the transition from NHIF to SHA.
Archbishop of Nyeri noted that the government has failed to clear debts accumulated over the last four years, leaving hospitals in financial distress.
“We still have over Ksh250 million owed to us by the government. We try, we cry, we appeal, we plead, but we seem to receive noncommittal responses,” he said.
Muheria warned that the debts were crippling healthcare services, yet faith-based hospitals have continued treating patients despite the financial strain.
“In any industry or company, Sh250 million is a debt that paralyses an institution, yet we have continued offering services,” he added.
3. Politicization of funerals
On January 12, 2025, Archbishop Muheria issued a stern warning to politicians who are in the habit of settling political scores at funeral ceremonies.
Muheria, visibly frustrated by what he described as the politicization of burials, criticized President William Ruto’s allies for their growing tendency to turn funerals into political platforms.
He was responding to a heated exchange at the burial of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s mother in Western Kenya, where National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya clashed.
Muheria condemned the incident as unfortunate and ill-advised.
He criticized the ruling elite for their disregard for the sanctity of burial ceremonies and urged leaders to reflect on their conduct and uphold basic decency.
“Even in funerals, it seems that we are not even given respect to our parents and ancestors. We’ve lost all kinds of decorum and respect. Must we dance on the coffins of our loved ones to be popular?” Muheria lamented.
4. Ruto’s leadership style
In July 2023, at the peak of anti-government protests led by Raila Odinga against the high cost of living and the Finance Act 2023, Archbishop Anthony Muheria urged President William Ruto to heed the concerns of Kenyans.
Speaking during Citizen TV’s JKL live show on Sunday, July 16, 2023, Muheria opined that Ruto’s administration should shelve its ignorance and address concerns raised by citizens.
He also noted that the ruling administration should find a structured way of governance that tends to the plight of Kenyans and that public participation in crucial matters should actually involve citizens.
“We must touch the ground, we must know how people on the ground feel. That’s why we ask the government to listen to the plight of Kenyans. The silence, the ignorance…we need a structured way of governance, we need people to be accountable and have a jurisdiction that has limits. Public participation must actually be public participation,” he stated.
Muheria also took issue with Ruto’s leadership describing it as arrogant, insulting and imposing.
The man of the cloth underscored that the President needs to be humane, empathetic, and compassionate when discharging his mandated roles.
“Leadership needs to be humane, empathetic, compassionate. Currently, the leader is rough, insulting, arrogant and imposing. We are going into a very wrong leadership, which is why religious leaders want to talk,” he stated.
Muheria called out police for using excessive force on unarmed civilians during demonstrations.
He subsequently urged officers to be humane whenever discharging their mandated roles.
“The police must learn to be very humane. It’s not acceptable to use live bullets even in these circumstances. We cannot condone the use of live ammunition and brutality of police even with people who are doing ill,” he stated.
5. Inclusive dialogue
In July 2025 after Gen Z protests threatened to dismantle Ruto’s government and the president was looking everywhere for solutions to quell dissent, Archbishop Anthony Muheria called for an inclusive dialogue that extends beyond the political class, insisting on the need for comprehensive engagement with various societal groups.
Muheria insisted that the government and leadership should be open to all voices, not just those of politicians.
His comments came in the wake of President William Ruto naming a new cabinet, which included several members of the opposition.
This decision sparked significant online protests.
Archbishop Muheria urged that a meaningful dialogue should encompass all parties and avoid being used for political gains.
“Inclusive conversations are about deep listening to people who don’t think like you. This includes listening to cooperates, religious leaders, workers, young people, and journalists. It is an inclusive conversation and cannot be instrumentalised,” Muheria told the media.
Voice beyond politics
Archbishop Muheria’s critiques are rooted not in partisanship but in his role as a spiritual leader advocating for justice and integrity. His willingness to challenge those in power underscores the importance of moral voices in the country’s democracy.
As Kenyans navigate economic hardships and political uncertainty, voices like Muheria’s remind leaders of their sacred duty to serve the people. His words, sharp yet compassionate, continue to reverberate far beyond the walls of his church.
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