“You are our hope”: Kenya’s Catholic Bishops Laud Gen Zs for Patriotism in Spearheading Protests against Finance Bill

“Your clamor shows your concern for our country, for the lives of others, and for social justice. Our families would be the first beneficiaries of better governance and economy. For this, we wish to encourage you that your aspirations are valid,” they explain.

The Catholic Church leaders recognize with appreciation “great skills and talents” in Kenya’s young people, which they say “will uphold our families and society.”

In the statement that KCCB Chairman, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu, signed, Catholic Bishops in Kenya also recognize the concerns that youths in the East African nation had regarding the controversial Finance Bill 2024 as “genuine” and go on to highlight youths’ challenges.

“The concerns raised by Gen Z remain genuine in our eyes. We share your cry due to unemployment, lack of school fees for many families, failed promises, and a seemingly bleak future. No doubt the Finance Bill would have brought still more suffering,” KCCB members say in their statement titled, “Aspirations for a prosperous Kenya”.

“However, no one needed to lose a life in these constitutional protests,” they lament, adding, “This is why we condemn the brutal and inhumane acts of the police which cannot be justified.”

The Gen Z-led protests against Kenya’s Finance Bill 2024 started on June 18, the day the Bill was tabled in parliament for debate, with hundreds of youths and some human rights activists taking to the streets of Nairobi to urge the legislators not to vote for the Bill during its second reading that was scheduled for June 20.

On June 20, at least 18 Kenyan major cities and townships played host to protesters, who were saying that they are not satisfied with the announced amendments to the Bill that aimed to raise US$2.7 billion through additional taxes; they wanted the entire Bill rejected because it was set to raise the cost of living for an average Kenyan, who the protesters said is already struggling to survive.

Still, the legislators approved the Bill in its second reading. They met again on June 25, and approved the proposed amendments to the Bill, a move that angered the Kenyan protesting youths; the protests turned violent, with Kenyan police opening fire on protesters. At the height of the violence, suspected police officers fired at demonstrators who stormed the Kenyan parliament. 

Some 53 Kenyans reportedly lost their lives during the protests, 30 of them in Nairobi’s Githurai settlement and the other 23 countrywide, especially in Nairobi streets, according to Kenyatta National Hospital and the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG), a conglomeration of civil society groups. 

In their June 29 statement, Kenya’s Catholic Bishops recall the suffering of youths amid police brutality, which they had earlier condemned “in the strongest terms”.

“The message of the protests by Gen Z brought many concerns and also tears as we watched many young people suffer,” they say, and express their awareness of the fact that young people “feel aggrieved and forgotten, and let down in your aspirations.”

“Some even feel that the Church may have failed them at times,” the Catholic Church leaders add, recalling the events of the week during which, they say, “many young people have lost their lives in the protests and many were injured. We feel really sad and wish to console you all as we pray for these our brothers and sisters.”

KCCB members present their “heartfelt condolences to the affected families”, and add, “We also send our prayers and best wishes to those who are nursing injuries and mental health issues caused by the effects of the protests.”

“We send you this message as an assurance that we wish to accompany you, as we all need one another. On our part, we promise, to double our efforts to promote peace, love, unity and justice for all Kenyans,” they say.

The Catholic Church leaders call upon the youths to “hold up the good values of our faith and morals as we go forward, more so in your actions.”

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“Where the current generation may be failing, you must be better pressured to demonstrate higher standards and actions, KCCB members say.  

“As a Church, we are here to listen to you and accompany you. Our doors are open for guidance and mentorship. We desire that each one of you grows to be the best that our God intends for each one of you. Your hopes are our hopes,” they say. 

The Catholic Church leaders advocate for a collaborative approach, saying, “Let us walk together with the help of God's grace, to build these dreams, each with the gifts we have, young and old.”

“We have admired the unity beyond tribe or social class which is a sign of true care and love. This should increase your commitment to good causes,” KCCB members say, and reiterate, “Together we shall see that your aspirations come true.”

“May our Mother Mary accompany you always and may the Apostles Peter and Paul intercede for us,” they say in their statement dated June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.