prayers during national events especially at the inauguration of a new president after elections .
Small religious establishment representing small pockets of minority groups have traditionally kept below the radar and practice their faith without drawing too much attention to themselves although Hindu temples are quite prominent in major urban areas .
Muslims , although numerically few , hold a significant sway in the Coastal and North Eastern region of the country and their political clout is recognized by the national observance of the two annual Eid holidays as per the Islamic calendar .
This has not always been the case and it is evidence of their growing importance that they have been able to lobby successfully to have their holy days recognized as national holidays . Kenyan Somali population form a potent force in commerce and politics .
The code of conduct in Islam is determined by the Sharia law which is the tradition derived from the Quran and the Hadith and which tends to interpret social justice in accordance to the dictates of the two sources .
Apart from insisting that their Sharia law be applicable when dealing with matters relating to personal status , marriage , divorce and inheritance , Moslems are quite happy to follow the laws of the land .
The last word has to be that when the clergy chose to lie down in a room with a viper , the possibility of getting bitten are always present and if bitten they cannot pretend to be surprised . If he is the anointed one , you cannot deem to change tune once bitten .
The Catholic church is run by a wellestablished hierarchy led by the Pope and their views on temporal matters are based on canonical tenets that are centuries old which have been tested over time and reflect the fundamentals of their faith .
The opinions of Catholics as regards to the political state of Kenya are usually communicated through the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops as a united front representing all the proffered and summarized views of their faithful in the nation .
They are usually a very restrained lot and for them to issue a statement regarding national issues is usually as a result of provocation of a big magnitude where silence would be construed to mean they are not aware of the plight of their congregants .
The lack of a universal unifying authority that guides the many protestant sects , which are many and growing , means that each sect is independent and they find tenuous reasons to differentiate their teachings .
The fastest growing business in Kenya today is the establishment of churches and since all that is required to start a church is a bible and the gift of the garb , there has been a proliferation of churches with names only limited by the imagination of the founder .
The success of these churches is determined by the personal charisma of the founder and many of them have influence way beyond the number of their adherents because they have set up radio and television studios to disseminate their message .
Of the Christian cohorts , 20 % are Catholics who are evenly spread around the country and since they were among the pioneers in the education and health sectors during the colonial days , they are a formidable religious force .
Since Catholics follow a strict dogmatic creed and their allegiance is foremost to the Holy See at the Vatican , their local pronouncements and activities in the social and political arena is tempered by the general outlook of the global movement as dictated from the Vatican .
When they do issue a statement , it is likely to be well considered and measured to ensure that they are not contradicting their doctrine and the general guidelines that govern the Catholic church conduct vis a vis the countries they operate in .
It is in the over 60 % among the protestant ranks , especially the evangelicals , that have wrought havoc in the social and political fabric of the nation . The definition of evangelism is unfortunately so vague that it encompasses many dubious groups .
Having espoused modern marketing techniques they have promoted their churches on traditional media and the social media and many seem to be aware that for notoriety , there is nothing like negative exposure , so long as you have audience .
These churches have come to epitomize the new craze of influence marketing where the chief influencer is the pastor and the more dramatic and absurd the antics at the pulpit the bigger and hooked is the following .
This social media phenomenon has given new interpretation to the bible teaching that the sheep know the voice of the shepherd and they follow him . Church services have become a razzmatazz of entertainment and showbiz chasing clout .
To upgrade their branding , one hears names like pastor , senior pastor , bishop , apostle and prophet being bandied around while they invest in expensive sound and music equipment including projection