‘Culture of Lies, Unkept Promises!’ – Catholic Bishops Criticize Ruto Gov’t, Issue Demands
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has chastised President William Ruto’s administration over allegations of widespread corruption, excessive taxation, and broken promises.
The bishops accused the government of failing to heed its initial promise of repaying the debt owed by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to faith-based organisations.
The men of cloth were addressing the press in Ruaraka Sub-County, Nairobi County on Thursday, November 14.
In their statement, the religious leaders also condemned the government’s decision to raise the missionary work visa.
According to them, despite efforts to reach the president over the problem, the Head of State was yet to interfere.
The bishops also chastised the Kenya Kwanza administration for its refusal to establish the Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), despite repeated requests from various parties.
During the press conference, the bishops also expressed concern over the agenda to increase the president’s term limit from five to seven years.
They said there were efforts to hurry the bill through Parliament for approval.
“We recall the pertinent issues we have raised recently with the government over taxation of Kenyans, the hiking of the missionary work permits, youth unemployment, and regulations of the education system including the Competency Bed Curriculum (CBC) and the education funding,” noted the bishops.
“This culture of lies, unkept promises, and misplaced priorities is unacceptable and needs to be dealt with. We believe that genuine consultations of all concerned stakeholders is necessary beyond the casualty public participation,” the statement added.
While addressing journalists, the KCCB also criticized the government for violations of human rights, such as deprivation of free expression.
The bishops were outraged by the government’s reluctance to address the recurring occurrences of abductions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial deaths.
The church leaders went on to say that the government’s decision to remain silent on cases of abduction and murder, particularly of young girls and women, sparked widespread outrage, wrath, and disgust across Kenya.
“Many families are grappling with the loss of their children who were brutally killed and went missing following what is referred to as the Gen Z demonstrations in June 2024,” the bishops noted.
“Many of them had raised concerns about rampant corruption, who is behind these abductions?”
To address the threat, the Catholic bishops recommended President Ruto’s administration make effective use of the gathered funds and implement austerity measures to prevent overspending.
“We thank God for holding our country together, despite the social and political upheavals,” the bishops stated.
“We pray that our leaders guided by the values of justice, mercy, humility, selflessness and honesty provide good leadership and governance to our nation.”
‘Culture of Lies, Unkept Promises!’ – Catholic Bishops Criticize Ruto Gov’t, Issue Demands
