Suba North Member of Parliament (MP) Millie Odhiambo has issued a stern warning to religious leaders, urging them to maintain respect and decency during prayers by refraining from touching women inappropriately.
Speaking during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Odhiambo criticized the growing trend where some pastors touch women’s breasts or buttocks during prayer sessions, claiming it has no spiritual significance.
“Stop touching women’s breasts and buttocks during prayers. There is nothing spiritual about that. Keep a distance. The spirit will work between you and the woman with the distance,” Odhiambo stated.
The legislator emphasized that physical contact during prayers does not enhance spirituality but instead provokes sexual excitement, undermining the sanctity of worship. She insisted that spiritual guidance should occur without physical touch, calling for professionalism, decency, and ethical standards in religious institutions.
Odhiambo further pointed to existing and proposed legal frameworks meant to protect women, referencing the Sexual Offences Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to criminalize inappropriate touching of women’s private parts.
“If that bill comes to the House and it’s made law, pastors will not touch any breasts or buttocks of ladies, because that will not happen again,” she remarked.
The MP expressed concern over certain practices she has observed in some churches, where pastors allegedly justify physical contact as part of prayer. She noted that such actions make women feel unsafe in spiritual settings and erode public trust in religious leadership.
Odhiambo concluded by calling on pastors to lead by example, maintain ethical conduct, and create an environment where women feel safe, respected, and spiritually uplifted. She believes combining legal reforms and public awareness will help restore dignity in worship spaces and uphold moral integrity within faith communities.
