Religious leaders urge President Ruto to repeal Finance Act

Religious leaders drawn from the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) are calling for a repeal of the Finance Act 2023 and a stop to protests by the opposition which they say have led the country on a path of destruction.

The clergy is challenging President William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga to reconsider their hard stance and embrace dialogue as part of efforts to peacefully find a lasting solution to the issues bedevilling the country.

The leaders also announced plans to convene national dialogue even as they urged Kenyans to resist incitement and being provoked to violence.

The return of the anti government protests continues to draw mixed reactions across the country; while some consider the demonstrations as an expression of citizens’ discontent and frustration with the high cost of living and punitive taxes, others are particularly concerned about the aftermath.

This includes the huge losses running into billions incurred by businesses that closed, the destruction of property and the loss of 13 lives during Wednesday’s protests.

“We once gain appeal (to President Ruto) that your administration repeals the Finance Bill 2023 so as to review the heavy taxation burden it imposes on Kenyans. Maintaining prevailing tax levels will give citizens a chance to recover their livelihoods and inspire hope for the future,” said KCCB Chairman Archbishop Martin Kivuva.

The leaders also want Azimio leader Odinga to immediately abort his signature collection drive and protests, terming the action by the opposition as a recipe for disaster.

“The tension, violence, and the shedding of blood is making the situation worse for the people of Kenya, rather than solving the problems they are struggling with. The threat of collecting signatures to overthrow the government is dangerous for the country and should be withdrawn,” chimed in NCCK Chairman Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki.

The clergy have challenged President Ruto and Odinga to reconsider their hard stance and embrace dialogue as part of efforts to restore peace and reconciliation.

“President Ruth and Raila Odinga, we appeal to you both to stop cutting Kenya into two. Do not lead this country on a path of suicide. We urge you to lead your coalitions in engaging in bipartisan talks that are genuinely intended on finding a solution to the recruitment of IEBC commissioners and other pending issues,” added Kivuva.

SUPKEM Chairman Hassan Ole Nando stated: “Since we are all hurting from the high cost of living our best approach is to embrace non-violence as we demand for better laws and policies. 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.”

The calls for peaceful dialogue were echoed by the United Nations Human Rights office which has also voiced its concerns over the widespread violence.