Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi has defended her controversial ‘leave Kenya’ remarks that recently sparked public uproar, insisting that her statement was made in a religious context and intended to promote national unity and respect for leadership.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on May 29, 2025, Elachi addressed the backlash, maintaining that her comments delivered from a church pulpit were misunderstood and misrepresented.
“It is okay because I said it on the pulpit of the Church, and I don’t need to please everyone. Even Jesus didn’t please all,” Elachi said.
She further clarified that her message was not aimed at silencing dissent but at fostering a respectful and constructive national dialogue.
“What I am saying is that criticism should be constructive and delivered respectfully. We can disagree, but that should not translate into disrespecting our leaders or the country,” she emphasised.
Debate on free speech
Elachi’s initial remarks, made during a church service, quickly went viral and drew sharp criticism from Kenyans online. Civil society actors and opposition leaders interpreted her words as a dismissal of dissent and an attack on free expression core tenets of Kenya’s democracy.
However, her supporters argue that her sentiments were misquoted and stripped of context, insisting she was calling for decorum and unity in political discourse. The incident has since reignited debate on the delicate balance between exercising free speech and upholding respectful civic engagement.
“We must remember that respect for leadership is key to national cohesion. It doesn’t mean blind obedience, but a respectful dialogue that allows us to build the country together,” she said during the interview.
National Prayer Breakfast
Elachi delivered a powerful prayer on May 28, 2025, at the National Prayer Breakfast held at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi. Her prayer touched on the moral and societal challenges facing Kenya’s youth, the growing influence of social media, and the urgent need for integrity in leadership.
“Father, we have left our country, our young people in helplessness in gambling, in pornography, and it is us to change the laws,” she prayed, acknowledging the failure by leaders to create a supportive environment for young Kenyans.
She also took a bold stance against what she termed as the “spirit of social media” running the country, calling for spiritual and legislative intervention.
“We pray that this social media that has decided to run our country, that spirit, my Father in heaven we want to confess as religious leaders that indeed we must sort out that sector.”
Elachi concluded her prayer by urging lawmakers to act with courage and moral clarity, especially as the country faces a sensitive political season.
As political temperatures continue to rise ahead of the next election cycle, Elachi’s recent statements both at the pulpit and during the interview, highlight the tension between safeguarding free expression and fostering national unity. Her consistent message has been one of healing, cohesion, and responsibility from both leaders and citizens.
“Kenya belongs to all of us, and we must protect our democracy by respecting each other’s views, even when they differ. Let us choose unity over division,” she concluded.
