The Anglican Church of Kenya has clarified that it supports the stand taken by the Catholic Church on various issues facing the country.
Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit said calling church leaders names or dismissing the statement by Catholic bishops as “misleading, erroneous and false,” is itself dishonest.
“We, the ACK, fully support the catholic bishops’ statement to the nation. We believe that the government is yet to turn around the country and steer it in the right direction,” he said.
Sapit added that they take great exception to reports in some sections of the media, which seems to indicate that ACK does not agree with the Catholic bishops for calling out the government.
He said the bishops have spoken the minds of Kenyans and faithfully expressed the truth as things are on the ground.
“No amount of attacks or intimidation will deter the church from calling out evil and speaking the truth to power,” he maintained.
In a statement to newsrooms, Sapit said the political class and those in government need to 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 bedevilling the country,” he stated.
He pointed out that the new university funding model has not worked.
“Public universities are barely functioning. Perpetual delays in releasing capitation have continued to undermine the efficient running of public schools. It cannot be said that the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund to the Social Health Insurance Fund has been anything but smooth, causing Kenyans untold suffering. It cannot be gainsaid that Kenyans have suffered unexplained abductions, forced disappearances and unresolved murders. Who should be held responsible if not the government?” he posed.
Sapit added that Kenyans are struggling with punitive taxes, unemployment crises, and less than ideal business environment.
The archbishop further said the most vulnerable Kenyans have experienced inhuman evictions with no viable alternative to their already precarious living arrangements.
“In the circumstances, we should not simply fold our hands and pray for miracles. We do not also condemn the government or even criticise it 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,” he said.
