The church has told President William Ruto to listen to the cries of Kenyans who are facing hard economic times worsened by the effects of drought for a long time.
The clergy, under the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), said many families are sleeping hungry, businesses have collapsed, and people have lost jobs even as the cost of living continues to rise.
They urged the government to consider adopting policies and strategies that can give Kenyans hope while addressing the economic challenges in the short and long term.
"Without this approach, Your Excellency, we fear the growing sense of hopelessness will push the country into instability and possibly violence," read a statement signed by KCCB chairman Martin Kivuva Musonde and his NCCK counterpart Timothy Ndambuki, which is dated July 11.
The clerics urged the President to repeal the Finance Act 2023 to reduce the tax burden on Kenyans
"As an immediate mitigation measure, we recommend that the Finance Act 2023 is repealed so as to review the heavy taxation burden imposed on Kenyans. In addition, we urge a cessation of domestic borrowing by the government so as to enable banks to loan private businesses that drive the local economy," read the statement.
At the same time, the clerics warned Opposition leader Raila Odinga against giving Kenyans what they termed as false hopes over the removal of the current government from office.
"We also urge that you do not give the people false hope that the government can be removed from office through the collection of signatures," the cleric said.
They urged Raila to reconsider the planned mass action which is likely to worsen the economic situation.
The clerics called on Kenyans to demand adherence to the rule of law and people-focused governance from elected and appointed leaders. Archbishop Martin Kivuvam, the chairman of and Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops when he addressed the media in Karen, Nairobi, on April 20, 2023. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]
"Our nation is going through a very difficult moment. We are all hurting, and there are many pressures that can push us into despair. We however must not go down this path as it is the way of destruction. We must firmly resist incitement by political and social leaders who are focused on selfish ambitions," read the statement.
The church called on Kenyans to deliberately engage in all public participation forums to influence policy and decision-making processes.
They warned Kenyans against leaving the destiny of their families in the hands of politicians, and should instead adopt the mantra of "Nothing for us without us."
The clergy urged President Ruto to take to heart and learn from the word of God in 2 Chronicles 9: 8 ... "because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness."
The clerics warned Ruto against failing to heed wise counsel citing Proverbs 29: 4: "By justice, a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for the bribes tears it down."
The clerics appealed to Azimio leader Raila to recognize the key position he was holding and the contribution he was making in shaping the future of the nation.
"We recognize the critical constitutional role that the opposition plays in safeguarding democracy and justice in our nation. We therefore appeal to you. Appreciating that justice is the foundation of stability and peace, we urge you to spearhead an issue-based and solution-oriented approach to secure the nation from sliding into chaos and violence," urged the church.
Religious leaders drawn from the KCCB and NCCK met at Ufungamano House in Nairobi on Wednesday to review the socio-political state of the nation.
Rev Musonde and Archbishop Ndambuki urged Kenyans to remain peaceful and calm despite the challenges and provocations so that they can live out the prayer they make through the National Anthem.
On Shakahola massacre where more than 372 bodies have been exhumed, the clerics said that they were deeply concerned that the persons responsible for facilitating the deaths are yet to be prosecuted.
"We especially observe that there are government officials who over the years failed to take action when reports of deaths and murders in the Shakahola forest were made. When will they be prosecuted for abdication of duty?" said NCCK.
They called upon the government to accord justice to the people of Kenya by ensuring all who facilitated crime are prosecuted.
The clergy said they were putting in place mechanisms to document the events that led to the dark blot in the nation's history and will especially highlight all who are responsible on account of their actions or inaction.
"Like all Kenyans and indeed all the world, we continue to follow with horror the exhumation of bodies in Shakahola forest. We share our heartfelt condolences with all the families who have been bereaved and are constantly praying for those who have reported missing relatives," read the statement.
They said it was saddening that the government was instead focusing on blaming the church and religious institutions for the massacre, yet it is clearly a result of failure by the criminal justice system.
