The rift between the late ODM Party supremo Raila Odinga and Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit reportedly began in 2017, when Archbishop Sapit publicly condemned Raila’s symbolic “swearing-in” as the People’s President, terming it unlawful and contrary to Christian doctrine. Relations between the two further deteriorated in 2021, when the Archbishop barred politicians, including Raila and Musalia Mudavadi, from addressing congregations from the pulpit, a move the ODM leader viewed as politically motivated
By The Weekly Vision Political Desk
The absence of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Dr Jackson Ole Sapit from both the national memorial service at Nyayo Stadium and the burial of the late Raila Odinga in Bondo has stirred intense political and religious speculation.
Many Kenyans had anticipated that Archbishop Sapit would preside over the ceremonies, given Raila’s long-standing association with the ACK. Instead, the prayers were led by Bondo ACK Bishop Prof. David Kodia, who officiated at both events.
Sources within the church and the political establishment now suggest that the Archbishop’s conspicuous absence may have been the culmination of a long-standing rift between him and the late ODM leader, a fallout dating back to the contentious 2017 and 2022 general elections.
The strain reportedly began in 2017 when Archbishop Sapit publicly condemned Raila’s symbolic “swearing-in” as the People’s President, terming it unlawful and contrary to Christian doctrine. Relations between the two further deteriorated in 2021 when the Archbishop banned politicians, including Raila and Musalia Mudavadi, from addressing congregations from the pulpit, a move that the ODM leader viewed as politically motivated.
Tensions peaked after the 2022 presidential election when Sapit congratulated President William Ruto immediately after the declaration of results at Bomas of Kenya, even as Raila contested the outcome at the Supreme Court. His subsequent congratulatory message following the Court’s verdict, urging Raila to “accept and move on”, was perceived by the Azimio camp as premature and insensitive.
Since then, the Archbishop has maintained a noticeable distance from Raila’s political circle, choosing not to visit the Odinga family or issue a public message of condolence following Raila’s death. His silence and physical absence at the funeral have been interpreted by observers as deliberate, underscoring the deep-rooted mistrust between the church leadership and the political opposition.
Meanwhile, the Bondo Member of Parliament, Gideon Ochanda, who defected from ODM to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition, was denied an opportunity to address mourners during the funeral proceedings. His exclusion, much like Archbishop Sapit’s absence, was widely seen as a political decision —a reflection of the tension and polarization that continue to define Luo Nyanza’s post-Raila political landscape.
As the nation mourns a statesman who shaped Kenya’s democratic journey, the rift between the church and the opposition underscores how deeply faith and politics remain intertwined in the country’s public life.
