We agree with the Catholic bishops

The Anglican Church of Kenya has explained that it supports the position of the Catholic Church on various issues facing the country.

The Most Reverend Archbishop Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit said that calling church leaders names or dismissing the Catholic bishops’ statement as “misleading, erroneous and false” is in itself dishonest.

“We, ACK, fully support the appeal of the Catholic bishops to the nation. We believe that the government has yet to turn the country around and steer it in the right direction,” he said.

Sapit added that they are making a big departure from reports in some sections of the media that seem to indicate that the ACK disagrees with the Catholic bishops in calling for the government.

He said the bishops expressed the opinion of Kenyans and faithfully expressed the truth as it happened.

“No amount of attacks or intimidation will stop the church from calling out evil and speaking truth to power,” he declared.

In a statement to editors, Sapit said the political class and those in government should “get off their high horses, listen for once, and not seemingly perpetuate the usual culture of impunity.”

“The authorities do not need lectures, but services and honest work. Please focus on providing meaningful leadership and first resolve the many problems plaguing the country,” he said.

He noted that the new university funding model did not work.

“State universities are almost non-functional. Persistent delays in the release of capitation rates continue to undermine the effective operation of public schools. The transition from the National Health Insurance Fund to the Social Health Insurance Fund cannot be said to have been smooth, causing untold suffering to Kenyans. It cannot be denied that Kenyans have suffered from unexplained abductions, enforced disappearances and unsolved murders. Who should be responsible if not the government?” he posed

Sapit added that Kenyans are struggling with punitive taxes, an unemployment crisis and a far from ideal business environment.

In addition, the archbishop said the most vulnerable Kenyans were subjected to inhumane evictions without any alternative to their already precarious living conditions.

“Under such circumstances, we should not just fold our hands and pray for miracles. Nor do we condemn the government or even criticize it for its own sake. We are, however, demanding transparency, greater accountability, time-frames and urgent intervention in services, especially healthcare, which cannot wait,” he said.