By Maximilla Wafula
LIMURU, KENYA-
In a stinging indictment of the country’s current political and socio-economic
climate, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has issued a powerful
pastoral letter, signaling a definitive breaking point with state-sanctioned
impunity. Titled "Arise, Awake, For Your Time Has Come," the
statement- released after a two-day Executive Committee meeting in Limuru on
June 25, 2026- serves as a stern wake-up call ahead of the 2027 General
Election.
The church painted a grim picture of a nation
gripped by a profound moral and governance crisis. Chief among its concerns is
the "immoral and diabolical" weaponization of unemployed youth by
politicians to disrupt public spaces, including shocking recent invasions of
sanctuaries like the All Saints Cathedral. In a direct challenge, the NCCK
warned the Inspector General of Police that he would be held personally
accountable if security agencies continue to collude with hired goons instead
of prosecuting their elite financiers.
Turning its focus to the economy, the council
slammed the government’s aggressive over-taxation and the failing Social Health
Authority (SHA/SHIF) transition, which has left ordinary citizens paying for
healthcare out of pocket. The church warned politicians against exploiting this
manufactured poverty to buy voters with cheap handouts.
Crucially, the NCCK passed the torch of national
transformation to the younger generation, fiercely praising the Gen Z movement
for championing accountability. Condemning the police killings of peaceful
protesters, the church urged young Kenyans to convert their digital activism into
institutional power by registering to vote and seeking elective office.
To protect its own integrity, the NCCK unveiled
strict new guidelines banning political campaigns, hate speech, and flashy,
politically driven fundraising inside places of worship. As the IEBC rolls out
the 2027 election calendar, the church's message is unmistakable: the youth
must lead, the leaders must account, and the soul of the nation is no longer up
for sale.
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