‘This Practice Is Outdated!’ – Kenya’s Church Slams Ruto’s Gov’t Over Abductions
A group of clerics from Kenya’s Catholic and Anglican churches have once again condemned the government over the current wave of arbitrary abductions.
The clergy spoke individually during and after the Christmas Day services, urging the government to carry out arrests in accordance with the law.
Bishop Martin Kivuva, chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), declared that the tradition was outmoded.
“This practice of Kenyans being abducted because of their political stand or opinion is outdated,” Kivuva stated.
“Stop the ongoing abduction of our children,” Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva tells President Ruto pic.twitter.com/poVLcyO3pq
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) December 25, 2024
“I remember during the colonial times, this was the norm. Even if you thought about something you would be abducted. We are urging the President or the perpetrators, it is bringing us back many years before independence.”
The leadership of the ACK church, led by Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, also weighed in on the criticism of the vice and urged for openness in arrests.
“Whoever has wronged, let them be arrested in daylight, brought to the court of law and whatever wrong will be established, the person be arraigned according to what they have done not according to what we don’t know,” Sapit opined.
He also urged Kenyans to be resilient during these tough times.
“In due course, God will reveal anything that is done in darkness in the light and God will sort us out in his way.”
Outrage Over Ongoing Abductions
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) December 25, 2024
Jackson Ole Sapit: We want to call a stop to the abductions. These are acts of darkness. They are not acts of the light.
Religious leaders express concerns over the wave of abductions in the country. ⁰#NTVTonight @Rosiewangui @zeynabIsmail pic.twitter.com/jYQIjNzmuY
Philip Anyolo, Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nairobi, reiterated Sapit’s comments and praised Kenyans for their perseverance throughout this difficult year.
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“Kenyans, thank you for persevering in the year that has passed. We have had a lot of challenges but as we continue to persevere, let us also as Christians remember that our first duty is to pray for peace,” he stated.
This appeal comes after a resurgence of suspected police abductions, which gained traction during the anti-finance bill rallies in June and July.
In the last week alone, four Kenyans have been reported abducted for distributing AI-generated portraits of the President, triggering appeals for their release from politicians and church leaders alike.
However, in a statement released on December 26, the National Police Service disputed all of the charges, despite the fact that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had already opened an investigation into the incident.
‘This Practice Is Outdated!’ – Kenya’s Church Slams Ruto’s Gov’t Over Abductions
