Clerics urge Ruto to heed Kenyans and scrap Finance Bill
President William Ruto was admonished by the church to hear the complaints of Kenyans who are enduring long-term economic hardships exacerbated by the effects of drought.
The clergy, under the auspices of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), reported that many families are going to bed hungry, businesses have collapsed, and people have lost their livelihoods despite the rising cost of living.
They urged the government to implement policies and strategies that can provide Kenyans with hope while addressing the short- and long-term economic challenges.
The statement, dated July 11, was signed by KCCB chairman Martin Kivuva Musonde and his NCCK counterpart Timothy Ndambuki. It read, “Without this approach, Your Excellency, we fear the growing sense of hopelessness will push the nation into instability and possibly violence.”
The clerics urged the President to repeal the Finance Act 2023 to reduce Kenyans’ tax burden.
“As an immediate mitigation measure, we recommend that the Finance Act of 2023 be repealed to review Kenyans’ hefty tax burden. In addition, we urge an end to domestic borrowing by the government so that banks can lend to private businesses that fuel the local economy,” the statement reads.
At the same time, the clerics cautioned Raila Odinga not to give Kenyans what they deemed to be false aspirations regarding the removal of the current government from office.
“We also urge you not to give the people false hope that the government can be overthrown through signature collection,” the cleric said.
They urged Raila to reconsider the scheduled mass action that would likely exacerbate the economic situation.
The clerics urged Kenyans to demand that elected and appointed leaders adhere to the rule of law and prioritize the welfare of the people.
“Our nation is experiencing a very difficult time. We are all in pain, and numerous constraints can drive us to despondency. However, we must not follow this path, as it leads to devastation. We must resolutely oppose incitement by political and social leaders with egocentric goals, according to the statement.
The church urged Kenyans to actively participate in all public participation forums to affect policy and decision-making processes.
They cautioned Kenyans against leaving their family’s fate in the hands of politicians and urged them to embrace the mantra “Nothing for us without us.”
The clergy urged President Ruto to take to heart and study 2 Chronicles 9:8… “because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to preserve them forever, he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousness.”
The clerics cautioned Ruto against ignoring sound advice, citing Proverbs 29:4: “By justice, a king gives a nation stability, but one who is greedy for bribes destroys it.”
The clerics urged the leader of the Azimio tribe, Raila, to recognize the significant role he played in molding the future of the nation.
“We acknowledge the critical constitutional role that the opposition performs in preserving democracy and justice in our nation. Consequently, we appeal to you. Recognizing that justice is the foundation of stability and peace, the church urged leaders to implement a problem-focused and solution-oriented strategy to prevent the nation from descending into anarchy and violence.
Wednesday, religious leaders from the KCCB and NCCK gathered at Ufungamano House in Nairobi to discuss the sociopolitical state of the nation.
Reverend Musonde and Archbishop Ndambuki urged Kenyans to remain peaceful and calm despite the challenges and provocations, so that they may carry out the prayer expressed in the National Anthem.
Concerning the Shakahola massacre, where over 372 bodies have been exhumed, the clerics expressed grave concern that those responsible for facilitating the murders have not yet been prosecuted.
“We observe in particular that over the years, certain government officials neglected to take action when reports of deaths and murders in the Shakahola forest were made. When will they be prosecuted for abandoning their duties?
They urged the government to provide justice for the people of Kenya by prosecuting all those who facilitated crime.
The clergy stated that they are putting in place mechanisms to document the events that led to the blotch in the nation’s history and will highlight all those who are accountable for their actions or inactions.
“Like all Kenyans and the rest of the world, we continue to be horrified by the exhumation of bodies in Shakahola forest. “We extend our deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and continue to pray for those who have reported missing loved ones,” the statement read.
They lamented that the government was focusing on condemning the church and religious institutions for the massacre when it was evidently the result of the criminal justice system’s failure.
Clerics urge Ruto to heed Kenyans and scrap Finance Bill
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