Nairobi, Kenya, November 15- In a swift response, the government took action against the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), who had expressed strong criticism over the State’s governance and policies.
The bishops had recently raised concerns about the government’s handling of issues like high taxation, rising living costs, and citizens’ rights violations, accusing the administration of a “culture of lies” and unfulfilled promises.
The bishops’ statement also criticized the government’s failure to resolve long-standing issues, including the overtaxing of citizens, poor management of youth unemployment, and the mishandling of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in schools. They also expressed their frustration over the failure to address the bloated National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) debt owed to faith-based health providers.
These bold statements quickly caught the attention of government officials, leading to an immediate rebuttal. Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa responded, defending the government’s record on health debt payments, stating that the state had already paid Ksh.7.58 billion towards the NHIF debt and would settle the remaining balance. She also pointed to the Ksh.5 billion already distributed to health providers, including faith-based facilities, as part of the government’s commitment to improving health care.
In the education sector, the bishops’ concerns about the CBC and the university loan scheme were met with counterclaims from Education CS Migos Ogamba. He highlighted several ongoing initiatives, such as the Ksh.17.6 billion allocated for Grade 9 classrooms, the hiring of over 56,000 junior secondary school teachers, and the Ksh.41 billion disbursed to universities for loans and scholarships. Ogamba reassured that the government was working to refine the education model through a National Working Committee.
On the issue of security and recent abductions, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja defended the government’s actions, pointing to the establishment of a specialized Missing Persons Unit and Gender desks. He also reported that 1,552 arrests had been made nationwide and that investigations into police officers implicated in misconduct were underway.
In a response from lawmakers, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah urged the bishops to provide evidence of any corruption involving political leaders to the authorities, rather than making broad accusations that could cause unnecessary panic among the public.
President William Ruto, addressing the matter at a graduation ceremony, called for leaders, including clergy, to engage in public discourse based on facts and to avoid making unfounded allegations. He emphasized the importance of working together for the betterment of the nation, urging all Kenyans to engage constructively in national matters.
The back-and-forth exchange underscores the growing tension between the government and the Catholic Church, with both sides exchanging accusations and defending their positions on various national issues.
