Fr. Ambrose Kimutai- catholic priest who hosted Raila

When Father Ambrose Kimutai Tonui was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1993, Kenya was at a political crossroads.

The country had only recently embraced multiparty democracy after years of one-party rule.

He quickly found himself drawn into the national push for political freedom. From his parish in Kaplong, Bomet, he opened church doors to opposition leaders seeking a platform to speak to citizens—turning the pulpit into a beacon of defiance and hope in a region firmly loyal to the ruling Kanu regime.

However, the Kanu regime, even after yielding to sustained pressure from the opposition and international community, could not let opposition leaders freely engage with Kenyans and sell their political ideals.

The opposition included former Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, regarded as the doyen of opposition politics; DP leader Mwai Kibaki, who rose to be president; Ford-Kenya’s Kijana Wamalwa; Ford-A founder Kenneth Matiba; then Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga; and then Ugenya MP James Orengo.

“I was newly ordained at St Peter and Paul Kaplong when I worked with Raila and other opposition leaders to promote multiparty politics,” said Fr Kimutai, an outspoken Catholic priest.