The press statement was read by NCCK Machakos county chairman Bishop Festus Malua on behalf of the regional chairman Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki.
“Having closely monitored the spirited engagement of Kenyans on the Finance Bill, 2024, we challenge both the Executive and Parliament to listen to the people. Considering that this is not the first Finance Bill in Kenya, why is it the first one to attract such a high level of frustration and despair across the country?,” Malua posed.
He said it was important for all the elected leaders to continually remember the warning of God in Isaiah 10: 1 – 3 .
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, makingwidows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar?
“If you don’t listen to the people, you risk pushing this country into uncontrollable social crisis,” Malua added.
The men of cloth said Kenyans should be allowed to picket.
They said Article 37 gives every Kenyan the “right to peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present petitions to public authorities".
“We are therefore deeply concerned about the manner in which security officers employed excessive force during the demonstrations witnessed across the country this week. We have today joined all Kenyans in mourning the youth who died after being shot.
We have also prayed for the quick recovery for the more than 200 youths who were injured in the fracas and more so, the six who are nursing gunshot wounds. We are also praying for the police officers who were injured when a teargas canister exploded,” Malua said.
They questioned why such force was used, yet the youth had been peaceful all day long.
Malua said such violent breakup of peaceful picketing will radicalise the youth and provoke violence on their part.
“We call upon the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to speedily identify and take appropriate action on all the officers who are implicated. On the other part, we call upon all Kenyans and especially the youth to continue exercising restraint and communicate their complaints and recommendations in a peaceful manner," the clergy said.
"Let each of us arise and play our part in building a nation where every Kenyan can have a productive and dignified life, just like the one described in Micah 4:4 'Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid',” Malua said.
During the induction session, the 35 leaders were sensitised on the NCCK history, constitution, governance structures, policies and programmes.
In addition, the officials considered the state of the counties in the region, as well as the nation, and were inspired by the scripture recorded in Jeremiah 29: 11.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
