Tax wars: Church breaks its silence, calls for dialogue

The Church on Sunday, June 23, broke its silence over the ongoing mass protests against the Finance Bill, 2024, with its leadership calling on the government to pay heed to the grievances raised by Kenyans opposed to the proposed legislation.

Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) chairman Archbishop Maurice Muhatia cautioned that it wasn’t wise for the youth to take to the streets when there was an opportunity for them to be listened to.

“The government should not live in denial. The streets are not safe for our young people to be in,” Archbishop Muhatia said.

He raised concerns that the mounting pressure against the passage of the bill could spark an uprising. The Archbishop, who also heads the Archdiocese of Kisumu, said the protesters have a cause to be on the streets.

“As the KCCB, we also have serious concerns about the bill and we think it should not pass in its current state. Amendments need to be made for the good of the country,”the clergyman said.

“We understand that the country cannot be run without taxes, and this we cannot run away from. We are, however, against excessive taxation,” he added.

He was presiding over a mass service at Our Lady Queen of Peace Muhoroni Parish.

The archbishop further warned security agents against using excessive force against peaceful protesters exercising their rights to demonstrate. He cited Article 37 of the Constitution, which states that “every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities”.

At the same time, Archbishop Muhatia called on the country’s leadership to look into the welfare of the young generation, who make up majority of the country’s population.

The clergyman also warned the youth against engaging in illegalities during the course of their protests.

He further discouraged both politicians and the youth from turning churches into podiums for making political statements.

“Don’t heckle your leaders in churches. Two wrongs don't make a right,” he said.

The Catholic Church, the archbishop noted, had called on leaders of parishes to make sure that places of worship are respected.

“This does not mean that we are blocking anyone from attending our services but let’s respect the sanctity of the pulpit,” he said.

Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit on his part described the anti-Finance Bill protests as “unexpected and extraordinary”.

“The Gen Zs have no tribe, no religion, no class but they are our children. They are not enemies of the nation. We love you and welcome you. We want to discern what you are saying and we pray that the Lord will give us [the grace to listen] and understand each other,” he said.

Tackling the Finance Bill crisis, the clergyman said, “calls for sobriety”. He urged leaders to listen more and talk less.

“We are in a nation called Kenya that belongs to all of us. Let us all share by listening to one another. We are ready to listen to you,” he said, addressing the protesters.

The head of the Nairobi Archdiocese, Most Reverend Philip Anyolo, told the youthful protesters that the Church stands with them, urging the police to guarantee their safety.

“We acknowledge the shared of concerns among Kenyans and fully support their right to a peaceful protest,” he said.

The archbishop clarified that the Church had nothing to do with the restriction of protesters from seeking refuge inside a church’s compound in downtown Nairobi during protests on Thursday last week.

That church’s proximity to Parliament Buildings, he said, caused the police to barricade the road leading to it. He further said that the heavy presence of security officers also saw some of the church’s staff blocked from accessing the facility.

“At no point did the Church make arrangements with the police for its gates to be closed,” Archbishop Anyolo said in a statement.

He stated that the Church will always endeavour to be a sanctuary for all people of God and remain open to the public. “We regret any misunderstanding following the current concerns about the Finance Bill 2024, and we will continue to strive to be a sanctuary of worship,” Archbishop Anyolo said.

The cleric noted that the compound hosts a school, and that its personnel always prioritises the safety of learners, as well as being responsible for ensuring a duty of care for the young ones.

The Associated Christian Churches in Kenya (ACCK) also cautioned that the passage of the Finance Bill 2024 in its current form will oppress and lead to more suffering for Kenyans.

The ACCK has, instead, called on President William Ruto to address corruption within government institutions and wastage of public resources.

Meanwhile, Kenyans on June 23, turned out in their numbers for blood donation drive at the Sikh Union Club in Parklands, Nairobi.

Dr Austin Omondi arrested

While the exercise was organised by the Kenya Blood Transfusion to mark the International Yoga Day, donors took the opportunity to give blood in aid of those injured during the anti-Finance Bill protests last week.

The charitable event was, however, marred by the arrest of social media personality Dr Austin Omondi, who is also known as JaPrado on X, formerly Twitter, and who was among the mobilisers for the blood drive. Kenyans took to X to protest against the medic’s arrest.

The Nation spoke to a few of the people who had turned up to give out their blood.

For Mr Joseph Mitini, a social media campaign convinced him to come out to donate blood. He said that he was doing it for his colleagues who were injured during the protests.

“This is my first time to donate blood,” Mr Mitini told the Nation.

“What brought me here is the fact that there are people who will be injured during the protests [this week] and they will need blood,” he added.

Meanwhile, a showdown is looming in Turkana County after Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai banned anti-Finance Bill protests in the devolved unit.

The governor over the weekend declared that he wouldn't allow anyone to hold protests in Lodwar tomorrow in solidarity with similar planned protests across the country.

Additional reporting by By Sammy Lutta and Oscar Kakai