Religious Leaders Decry Insecurity in Kenya’s Rift Valley Region

Nairobi, 04 March, 2024 / 11:00 PM

Religious leaders have denounced insecurity characterized by banditry attacks, inter-community clashes, and vandalism of infrastructure in counties within the Rift Valley saying the violence is “quite worrying and intriguing”.

In a statement shared with ACI Africa on Monday, March 4, the religious leaders drawn from the Catholic Diocese of Ngong, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Narok Chapter say it is “disheartening to note that this is happening yet we say the nation is peaceful.”

“The insecurity status is quite worrying and intriguing in Baringo, and Samburu Counties as well as the relapse of inter-communities clashes in Narok and Kericho Counties. We are deeply concerned since the violence has persisted and is continuing despite the security interventions that have been put in place in the areas,” they say. 

The insecurity “is so bad to the extent that an elected leader can be killed by bandits in a region under government security operations since February 2023,” they say in reference to the killing of Paul Leshimpiro, the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Angata Nanyekie, Samburu county, was shot dead by bandits while heading home on February 25. 

They say the rampant criminal activities in the counties “have an irreversible impact on Kenyans; unnecessary loss of innocent lives, disruption of livelihoods, displacement and migration of residents, loss of livestock, and disruption of education of our children.”

The religious leaders say the government needs to take stern action against politicians and individuals having a hand in violence either directly or indirectly.

Community policing structures need to be strengthened and peace committee structures empowered to promote peace and cohesion, they say, and call for the promotion of public-police trust for enhanced early warning and intelligence sharing at the community level.

In the statement, the religious leaders also express concern about the high cost of living in the East African nation. 

They say, “The soaring cost of commodities coupled with dwindling expendable income, has pushed more Kenyans below the poverty line leading to a lot of suffering.”

They add that the collapse of businesses, both big and small, has exponentially raised unemployment levels in the country.

The religious leaders say the economic situation in the country “is unsustainable regardless of any macro-level economic measures being put in place” and call upon President William Samoei Ruto and lawmakers in the nation “to lower the skyrocketing cost of living amidst other socio-economic and political challenges.”

To remedy the situation, they recommend lowering taxes and freezing the increment of statutory deductions.

“We urge measures to promote the growth of export-oriented businesses. This will earn the nation the much-needed foreign exchange and also increase tax income without unnecessarily aggravating the people,” the religious leaders say.