Don’t Allow Kenya “to go down” the Insurrection Path: Religious Leaders to President

They say, “As Religious Leaders, we have listened to Kenyans and recognize that our nation is headed in the wrong direction. It is time for us to Take Our Country Back. We must not allow the selfish interests of political leaders to destroy our homeland and push us into destitution.”

To address the economic hardships in the short term, the religious leaders urge President Ruto to repeal the Finance Act 2023 .

“We once again appeal that your administration repeals the Finance Act 2023 so as to review the heavy taxation burden it imposes on Kenyans. Maintaining the prevailing tax levels will give citizens a chance to recover their livelihoods and inspire hope for the future,” they say.

In the statement that the Chairman of KCCB, Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde, NCCK Chairman, Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, and SUPKEM chairman, Al Hajj Hassan Ole Naado, signed, the religious leaders also urge the Kenyan President to “instruct the Cabinet Secretaries and other government officials to promote rule of law and cease us of provocative language.”

“The prevailing sense of impunity needs to be curtailed,” they say in their July 14 statement in which they also call upon President Ruto to “open the way for dialogue and consultations as a way of addressing the longstanding and deep-seated grievances in the country so as to promote healing and reconciliation.”

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Turning their attention to the leader of the Azimio One Kenya Coalition, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, Kenya’s religious leaders express concern about the call to mass action with the advocacy for civil disobedience, tax boycotts, and defiance.

They urge Hon. Odinga “to overhaul the tactical approach adopted by the Azimio la Umoja coalition recognizing that the current push for mass action is pushing the country into insurrection.”

“The tension, violence, and shedding of blood are making the situation worse for the people of Kenya, rather than solving the problems they are struggling with,” the religious leaders say in reference to recent demonstrations that claimed the lives of at least six people and 14 people respectively, besides the destruction of property. 

“The destruction of businesses as well as public and private properties is pushing the cost of living higher, not lower,” they lament, and urge Hon. Odinga “to embrace dialogue and consultations as a strategy for addressing grievances so as to promote reconciliation.”

The faith leaders echo the July 11 message of Kenya’s Christian leaders, who described as “false hope” the 15million signature initiative aimed at forcing President Ruto out of office.

“The threat of collecting signatures so as to overthrow the government is dangerous for the country and should be withdrawn,” the representatives of religious leaders in Kenya say in their July 14 statement.

Addressing themselves to Kenyans, the faith leaders “condole with all the families that have lost their loved ones in the demonstrations witnessed in the country.”

“We are also praying for a speedy recovery for all who have been injured and those who have lost livelihoods and properties,” they say in reference the July 12 demonstrations, and add, “Let us declare that no more blood of Kenyans should be shed!”

“Since we are all hurting from the high cost of living, our best approach is to embrace non-violence as we demand better laws and policies,” Kenya’s religious leaders say.

They add, “Let us all resist the incitement and provocation to engage in violence and destruction which will destroy who we are and what our nation stands for.”

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“We conclude by inspiring all of us to embrace the call we make to ourselves in our National Anthem: Let all with one accord, in common bond united, Build our nation together; And the glory of Kenya, the fruit of our labor, Fill every heart with thanksgiving,” the mainstream faith leaders in Kenya say in their July 14 collective statement.

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