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The church was yesterday united against President William Ruto’s government, with the Anglican Church of Kenya and the evangelical churches rallying behind their Catholic counterparts in calling out the Kenya Kwanza government for running down the country.

Speaking separately, ACK and the evangelical churches supported the position taken by the Catholic bishops last week, accusing the Ruto government of overtaxing Kenyans while overseeing the abduction and killing of scores of innocent citizens.

ACK Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit in a statement called out the Ruto government for steering the country in the wrong direction, warning that the church will not be intimidated into silence.

Ole Sapit at the same time defended the Catholic bishops from accusations from a section of leaders from the government, and instead told the executive to focus on the critical issues raised by the church that concerns Kenyans.

“We believe that the government is yet to turn around the country and steer it in the right direction. Calling church leaders names or dismissing the bishops’ statement as ‘misleading, erroneous and false’ is itself dishonest. The bishops have spoken the minds of Kenyans and faithfully expressed the truth as things are on the ground,” Ole Sapit said in a press statement sent to newsrooms.

Past echoes

The united position taken by the churches was reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s when the church, then led by fiery clerics such as Bishops John Henry Okullu, Alexander Muge and David Gitari of the then Church Province of Kenya (CPK) later renamed ACK, Cardinal Maurice Otunga, John Njue and Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki of the Catholic church and Timothy Njoya of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) would fearlessly stand up to the excesses of the then Kanu government during the single party era.

“No amount of attacks or intimidation will deter the church from calling out evil and speaking the truth to power,” Ole Sapit warned. The Archbishop called on politicians and senior government officials to address problems that are burdening the majority of Kenyans.

“Let the political class and those in government come down from their high horses, listen for once, rather than seemingly perpetuate the commonplace culture of impunity. The governed do not need lectures but services and honest engagement. Please concentrate on providing leadership in a meaningful way and first tackle the myriad of problems that are bedeviling the country,” he said.

Ole Sapit said they are justified to criticize the government, adding that it should fulfill its promises and enhance transparency.

“In the circumstances, we should not simply fold our hands and pray for miracles. We do not also condemn the government or even criticize for the sake of it. We, nevertheless, demand transparency, greater accountability, time-bound plans, and urgent interventions in such services as especially medical care, which cannot wait,” Ole Sapit said.

“It is time the government realized that too much talk and open-ended promises will not do,” he added.

Systematic failure

He said the government has failed to streamline the education and health sectors, pointing out that the university funding model and that the transition from National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) has caused suffering among Kenyans.

“It cannot be again said that the new university funding model has not worked. Public universities are barely functioning. Perpetual delays in releasing capitation have continued to undermine efficient running of public schools,” said Ole Sapit. “It cannot be again said that the transition from NHIF to SHIF has been anything but smooth, causing Kenyans untold suffering,” he added.

The ACK Head further said that President Ruto’s administration has failed to curb unexplained abductions, forced disappearance and unresolved murders of Kenyans.

He noted that Kenyans are struggling with huge taxes, unemployment and evictions. Soon after Ole Sapit’s statement on the State of the Nation, a coalition of religious leaders from the Nyanza region issued a strong warning to President Ruto’s government over what they described as a ‘growing trend of oppression and mismanagement’.

Led by Bishops David Kodia of the Bondo ACK diocese, Bishop John Mark Godia (Maseno West ACK diocese), Charles Onginjo (Maseno South ACK diocese), Rev. Patrick Ligawa (Church of Christ in Africa) and Bishop Clement Otieno (Free Pentecostal Church of Kenya), expressed concerns that Kenyans were feeling oppressed with how the government was responding to issues affecting them.

The clergy threatened to mobilize Kenyans for acts of civil disobedience if their grievances were not addressed.

“For this reason, we may call Kenyans to exercise civil disobedience that might lead to refusal to pay taxes. Starving all arms of the government of funds that it uses to intimidate the people of Kenya,” said Prof Kodia during a press briefing held in Kisumu.

They claimed that the Kenya Kwanza administration was undermining the rule of law, silencing dissent, and allegedly stifling civil liberties, actions which they argue are slowly turning Kenya into a “totalitarian state.”

“Kenya is slowly sliding into a dictatorship. What we are witnessing is a deliberate attempt by the government to concentrate power in the hands of a few, undermining the very principles upon which our democracy was founded. This is not just a political issue; it is a moral and spiritual crisis,” said Bishop Prof Kodia.

“We are witnessing the centralization of power at an alarming rate, reminiscent of authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the world. This government seems determined to quash any form of dissent, using the machinery of the state to create an environment of fear and compliance,” he continued.

Police crackdown

Besides criticizing the government, religious leaders also emphasized the importance of non-violent resistance and peaceful civil disobedience.

They called on Kenyans to rally behind the principles of justice, democracy, and human dignity, and to peacefully protest against the government’s alleged mismanagement and authoritarian practices.

“We call on all Kenyans, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or political affiliation, to join us in this cause,” said Rev Otieno. “This is a fight for the soul of our nation. We must act now, or risk losing the freedom and rights that have defined us as a people,” said Rev Onginjo.

Separately, the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya vowed not to be silenced in their quest to question the country’s governance.

Led by General Secretary Bishop David Thagana, the bishops, reverends, pastors and evangelists saivowed to side with the ordinary Kenyans as they have first-hand experience and information on matters perturbing them.

Speaking during the ordination of bishop James Sasunga, the clerics also took issue with the government for profiling a section of bishops as tribalists, saying that the heavy-handedness exhibited by the government in dealing with critics will only worsen the disconnect between it and the citizenry.

“Let there be an opportunity where the government can listen to the voice of the church. We cannot speak to each other when we are expected to serve the same people. We will not lie to you. There is a huge gap between you and the people who elected you. You may not heed to their cries but we are with them every time and we know their wishes,” said Thagana.

“Where we are now, the solution is to have a dialogue between the church and the government so that you listen to their voices. Why profile us as tribalists only when we lay the truth bare to you. The voices made by the catholic bishops are what the ground looks like and their statement painted the clearest picture of what is happening across the country,” he added. Stories by Noven Owiti, James Wanjiku, Kepher Otieno and Mathew Ndung’u