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Religious Leaders in Kenya Join Cry of Youths over “impunity” as Questions on Protest Killings Remain Unanswered

Credit: KCCB Department for Justice and Peace

By Silas Isenjia

Nairobi, 19 September, 2024 / 10:38 pm (ACI Africa).

Religious leaders drawn from Kenya’s Makueni County have, in a joint meeting with youth representatives in the East African country, decried the government’s inaction following reported killings during the country’s youth-led anti-government protests in May.

In their Tuesday, September 17 meeting, the leaders, who include representatives of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) said that the voice of the youths, who represent a significant percentage of the country’s population, has remained ignored.

 “The youth of this country make up at least 30 percent of the citizens in the country. In Makueni County, youth population makes up 34 percent of the county residents,” the religious leaders and the youths said in a statement following the meeting that was held at the Augustinian Monastery in Wote Catholic Diocese.

 “This cohort is affected by most of the challenges facing the citizens, ranging from employment, poor quality education, drug abuse, and crime, among others,” they said, adding, “It is therefore of critical importance that the youth be listened to when they are expressing themselves.”

Referring to the antigovernment protests where some youths were killed and others abducted, the religious and youth representatives demanded accountability, stating, “We call for justice for those killed and abducted during the protests. Violence must be avoided when dealing with crises.”

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They challenged authorities in the country, including political leaders at the national and county levels, religious leaders, and other community leaders to take action on what they described as impunity in the country.

The recent anti-government protests in Kenya, initially sparked by opposition to the Finance Bill 2024, led to an alarming escalation of violence and human rights violations, including abductions and extrajudicial killings.

Amnesty International and other rights groups expressed grave concern over the actions of Kenyan security forces, which reportedly resulted in at least 24 deaths and numerous abductions during these protests.

Many of the abducted individuals were reportedly detained without formal charges or acknowledgment of their whereabouts, a violation of both Kenyan and international law. 

The Kenya’s religious leaders and the youths representatives stressed that issues of concern to the youth with disabilities should also be prioritized.

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 “After listening, we expect actions on these issues, with consistent feedback on the progress made,” they say, adding, “This can only happen if our leaders exhibit goodwill in dealing with our issues.”

The leaders further decried non compliance to democracy, rule of law, and ethical and transformative leadership in the country.

They faulted political leaders for their “persistent in lies and unfulfilled promises” which they said “marks the height of unethical leadership and lack of integrity,” thus compromising their faith and derailing their hope in the future.

Referring to the ongoing disagreement between the Judiciary and the acting Inspector General of Police who was charged with court contempt and convicted, the youths and religious leaders found it unfortunate that those in leadership positions are acting with impunity.

“Our attention is drawn to the outright impunity by those entrusted with public offices, whose conduct is tantamount to a breach of the constitution they should protect”, they said.

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They added, “We urge the Chief Justice to ensure that justice is served, especially in light of issues concerning public security. Political leaders must be held accountable, and no one should be allowed to use religion for divisive politics.”

The youths and religious leaders have also called on the government to address the issues of corruption, as well as wastage, and mismanagement of the country’s public resources, sayinhg, “These are the source of unbearable economic conditions in the country, failing the medical sector, crumbling education sector, poor service delivery, and non-performing development projects that are only launched as a pathway for personal gain.”

As a way forward in addressing these challenges, the religious and the youths representatives urge the young people to get identity cards and register as voters, saying that prudence in voting is the only way to “install transformative leaders.”

They urge the country’s legislature to “fast track” the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to brace for the 2027 general elections.

In addition, they urge the Chief Justice to “expedite the cases that have derailed the process of putting in place new commissioners.” 

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“We ask the national assembly to ensure adequate funds are allocated on time to facilitate voter registration and other electoral processes,” they say, noting that the legislature “should also ensure the relevant legal frameworks are put in place to facilitate smooth operations of the electoral body. This will promote acceptability of the electoral process and elected leaders.”

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.