National Council of Churches of Kenya Urges President Ruto to Withdraw the Controversial Finance Bill

 By James Mutua

The National Council of Churches of Kenya Clergy when they met the President on Wednesday night at State House Nairobi. They asked the president not to sign the contentious finance bill 2024. Picture :Twitter 

June 26, 2024, Nairobi – In a meeting with Kenya's President Dr. William Ruto on Wednesday night at State House Nairobi, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) expressed deep concern over the current social and security situation in the country, focusing on the contentious Finance Bill 2024 and the 2024/2025 National Budget Estimates.

During the meeting, the NCCK emphasized the need for fair and just leadership, citing Proverbs 29:14: "If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure." The Council presented a detailed aide-memoire to the President, urging significant revisions to the proposed legislation and highlighting several critical issues.

The NCCK noted that the proposed Finance Bill 2024 had sparked widespread debate and opposition across the country. They informed the President that many Kenyans had called for the bill to be rejected and revised to better address their taxation concerns. The Council expressed deep sorrow over the recent violence and deaths resulting from peaceful protests, stressing the urgent need for the government to listen to its citizens.

The NCCK urged President Ruto not to sign the Finance Bill into law, recommending that it be sent back to Parliament for revisions that reflect the public's wishes. They called for a budget that aligns with the nation's fiscal reality and respects the principle of living within its means. The Council criticized Parliament for ignoring the will of the people by passing the bill, thereby losing legitimacy in the eyes of voters.

Commenting on the bloodshed witnessed during the demonstrations, the NCCK condemned the killing of peaceful protestors by police, describing it as unacceptable. They urged the President to instruct the police to stop harming demonstrators, cease abductions, clandestine arrests, and forced disappearances of dissenting Kenyans. They also called for the release of those who had been wrongfully detained and the rescindment of the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces in civilian matters.

Instruct the security agencies to immediately release all the persons who have been abducted or otherwise arrested." NCCK

 The Council appealed to President Ruto to unite the nation and publicly acknowledge the mourning families and injured individuals. They recommended waiving medical costs for those harmed by the police and emphasized the importance of an official apology for the security forces' actions.

Additionally, the NCCK asked the President to convene a National Economic and Social Conference to bring together stakeholders from various sectors, chart Kenya's economic future, foster national unity, and engage all Kenyans in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

In the past few weeks, Kenyans across the country have been demonstrating to oppose the contentious Finance Bill. According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission, the demonstrations have left over 50 people dead, including children.

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