A Faith & Witness Reflection for Mashujaa Day
Mashujaa Day is a time to honour the heroes who shaped our nation — men and women whose courage, conviction, and conscience built the freedoms we now enjoy.
But it is also a moment to ask a deeper question:
What kind of love for Kenya truly honours God?
True patriotism is not about parades, speeches, or flag-waving.
It is about loving our country enough to seek righteousness, even when it is costly.
It is the courage to speak truth when silence is safer, and to hope when cynicism is easier.
Last week, we reflected on “The Prophets Who Would Not Keep Quiet,” drawing lessons from contemporary church leaders — Rev. Dr. Edward Buri, Bishop David Oginde, and Archbishop Anthony Muheria — who continue to call the Church and the nation to moral accountability.
Today, we turn to three more prophetic voices — Bishop Prof. David Kodia, Rev. Dr. Timothy Njoya, and the late Bishop Alexander Muge — men whose courage reminds us that to love Kenya deeply is to tell her the truth boldly.
🔥 Bishop Prof. David Kodia: The Power of the Word
When Bishop Prof. David Kodia stood to preach at the state funeral of Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga last week, the nation leaned in. In the presence of the President, former President, Presidents and Heads of Delegations from other nations, and the country’s political elite, Kodia did what true prophets always do — he turned a national event into a moral moment.
Preaching from 2 Timothy 4:2 — “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage” — he reminded Kenyans that real power is not political but moral.
“God has given us the power to proclaim… power to correct, to rebuke, and to encourage.”
He spoke calmly, yet his words struck deep.
He rebuked corruption and greed, calling out “bad manners among politicians.” He contrasted the use of “power of persuasion” with “the power of money to intimidate and win followers.” He warned that those who drive luxury vehicles on looted wealth are accountable before God.
He also challenged the clergy, confessing that preachers are often tempted to dilute truth for approval. “God has called us only to proclaim His will,” he declared — a public act of repentance and renewal.
Then, with pastoral tenderness, he called for unity beyond tribe and class:
“Let us see ourselves as Kenyans first — not from the point of view of tribe or region.”
In that moment, Bishop Kodia did more than eulogize a statesman. He called a nation to repentance. He reminded us that the Word of God is not entertainment for the religious — it is the standard by which societies are judged and renewed.
His courage, humility, and clarity captured the essence of Mashujaa Day: that true heroism is moral, not political.
⚖️ Rev. Dr. Timothy Njoya: Freedom as God’s Gift
If Kodia represents Kenya’s prophetic present, Rev. Dr. Timothy Njoya embodies its prophetic legacy. During the Moi era, his pulpit at St. Andrews Church became a classroom of conscience and a crucible of courage.
When others preached compliance, he preached freedom — not as a political slogan but as a divine mandate. He taught that God’s sovereignty demands human freedom, and that justice is what everybody owes everybody.
He defied the myth of divine-right rule, insisting that no ruler is above accountability. “The Church cannot bless tyranny,” he said, “for God rules by reason, through dialogue with His people.”
For that, he was beaten, censured, and silenced — but never broken. His theology of mutual responsibility turned resistance into discipleship and reminded Kenyans that to obey God sometimes means to confront Caesar.
Njoya’s voice continues to echo today: that the Gospel is not an escape from the world but a call to redeem it — to humanize power, to dignify the poor, and to reason together with God.
🕊️ Bishop Alexander Muge: Faith Beyond the Fear of Death
If Njoya was the philosopher of Kenya’s prophetic awakening, Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge was its martyr. As Bishop of Eldoret in the late 1980s, he stood at the intersection of courage and conviction.
He refused to separate faith from justice. When warned not to visit Busia by powerful officials, he replied,
“My call to serve the Lord is such that personal security is secondary… If it is the Lord’s will that I be with Him in heaven, that is welcome.”
Days later, he was killed in a mysterious road crash that many still regard as martyrdom. But his death only amplified his message — that the Church must remain the conscience of the nation, even when conscience costs blood.
Muge’s theology was simple and searing: the Gospel that does not confront corruption is counterfeit. His life was a sermon in courage — one that still calls us to moral integrity when the cost is high and the audience is hostile.
✝️ Prophetic Patriotism: Loving Kenya Enough to Speak Truth
Kodia, Njoya, and Muge belong to the same prophetic lineage — a stream of courage that runs from the Bible through Kenya’s history.
- Kodia speaks to the present, reminding us that the pulpit must remain the voice of conscience.
- Njoya speaks to the mind, reminding us that faith must think and reason with God.
- Muge speaks to the heart, reminding us that love without courage is sentiment, not discipleship.
Together, they embody the prophetic patriotism our nation still needs — a love that rebukes in truth, builds in hope, and believes in redemption.
As we celebrate Mashujaa Day, we honour not only those who fought for our political freedom, but those who continue to fight for our moral freedom. Kenya’s future will not be secured by new constitutions alone, but by new consciences — citizens who love their country enough to live with integrity, to speak truth, and to serve selflessly.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)
May we be such a people.
Onwards we go.
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