Islamic Leaders in Rift Valley Demand Probe into Preacher’s Hateful Sermons, Warn of Rising Tensions Ahead of 2027 Elections

Muslim leaders in the Rift Valley region have intensified their calls for urgent government intervention following the circulation of a controversial video showing Bishop Mathew Baraza Israel of the Christ Chosen Generation Ministry International making remarks alleged to demean the Islamic faith.

The video, which has been widely shared across social media platforms, has drawn widespread outrage, with religious leaders and community members expressing alarm over its potential to inflame tensions in a region historically vulnerable to intercommunal conflict.

On November 22, 2025, in a strongly worded address outside Masjid Noor Mosque in Eldoret, prominent Muslim leaders—including Sheikh Abubakar Bini, Imam Abdulaziz Mohammed, and Sheikh Abdikadir Mohammed—publicly condemned the sermons, warning that such rhetoric posed a direct threat to Kenya’s fragile religious harmony. Their remarks followed days of mounting concern as the clip continued to gain traction online, amplifying fears of rising animosity between faith communities.

Sheikh Bini described the preacher’s statements as “dangerous poison being injected into the veins of a peaceful society.” He emphasized that reckless utterances made from the pulpit—especially by individuals perceived as moral authorities—carry immense weight and can cause deep, long-lasting divisions. He noted that Kenya’s religious communities have coexisted peacefully for decades, and that inflammatory messages such as the ones in the video risk undoing years of interfaith cooperation.

Imam Abdulaziz Mohammed echoed these sentiments, stressing that the responsibility of maintaining harmony rests not only with political leaders but also with religious figures.
“If we, as custodians of morality, remain silent in the face of hatred, then we become complicit,” he declared. “Silence emboldens extremists. It convinces them that there are no consequences for harming the social fabric.”

The leaders further urged clerics from all faiths—Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and traditional spiritual communities—to come together and denounce such rhetoric publicly. They argued that unified moral leadership could prevent isolated acts of incitement from snowballing into broader conflict, especially in the Rift Valley, where political and ethnic tensions have previously overlapped with religious identity.

They drew historical parallels with the 2007–2008 post-election violence, which left more than 1,200 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. Though politically triggered, the violence contained strong religious and ethnic undertones that contributed to its rapid escalation. The leaders warned that Kenya must never again allow inflammatory speech to create cracks that opportunists can exploit.

Calls for Government Action and Legal Enforcement

Apart from moral condemnation, the leaders called for actionable steps from the state. They urged both the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to launch an immediate probe into the matter and evaluate whether the video constitutes hate speech under Kenyan law.

In a separate interview, Zulfikar Bachu, a respected Muslim community leader in Eldoret, directly challenged Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to order an urgent, transparent investigation. He argued that the preacher’s utterances appear to violate the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which criminalizes the publication of harmful, false, or inciteful content capable of provoking discrimination or violence.

“This is not merely irresponsible talk,” Bachu stated. “It is content crafted to demean and endanger a specific religious community. Such behavior has no place in a modern, multi-faith democracy. This is not protected speech; it is a crime against national cohesion.”

He added that accountability would send a strong signal to religious leaders across the country that incitement is intolerable, regardless of platform or religious affiliation.

Rising Trends of Online Hate Speech

The leaders also pointed to the NCIC’s latest data, which reveals a worrying trend: reported hate speech incidents in Kenya increased by more than 25 percent in 2025, with social media emerging as the primary medium for spreading inflammatory messages.
Platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) have seen a surge in edited videos, manipulated sermons, and digitally altered content that quickly garners attention and inflames public sentiment.

According to the leaders, this rise is especially concerning as Kenya enters the early stages of the 2027 general election cycle, a period historically associated with heightened political tension and increased vulnerability to misinformation and intergroup propaganda.

Calls for Unity and Responsible Leadership

Despite their anger and frustration, the leaders made a strong appeal for calm. They urged all Kenyans to avoid reacting emotionally to the content of the video and instead trust the legal system to address the matter.
They reminded citizens that Kenya’s strength lies in its diversity, with communities of different cultures, languages, and faiths living side by side.

Sheikh Abdikadir Mohammed called on citizens to show restraint, emphasizing that retaliatory remarks or actions would only worsen the situation.
“Let us stand against the message, not the messenger’s followers,” he said. “Our response must be rooted in wisdom, patience, and justice.”

He also reiterated that religious spaces should not be used as platforms for political battles, especially in the lead-up to the election season. Instead, religious leaders should focus on fostering understanding, guiding the youth, and bridging societal divides.

Awaiting Official Action

As the controversial sermons continue to circulate online, residents of the Rift Valley—one of Kenya’s most politically sensitive regions—are anxiously awaiting official action from authorities. Interfaith organizations, community elders, and civil society groups have expressed hope that the government will move swiftly to prevent the matter from escalating into a larger conflict.

Many Kenyans have taken to social media to call for unity, urging leaders to prioritize peace, respect, and tolerance during this critical period. The prevailing sentiment among community members is clear: Kenya has come too far to allow reckless rhetoric to destabilize hard-won stability.