A Nation on the Brink: The Revolt Against President William Ruto’s AdministrationA country marked by its resilient spirit and enduring hope, Kenya finds itself once again at a pivotal crossroads.
The nation is teetering on the edge as widespread protests and governmental backlash unfold against President William Ruto's controversial Finance Bill 2024. Amidst escalating tensions and calls for accountability, Kenya braces for a defining week.The Church’s Role in Kenya’s Tumultuous Politics The Church in Kenya, historically a voice for justice and a pillar of societal conscience, now faces criticism for its perceived complicity.
This parallels the silent stance of Pope Pius XII during the rise of the Nazis. In 2007, as Kenya was engulfed in post-election violence, the Church’s silence was deafening. Ironically, the Church was once the champion of democracy in the 1990s, standing with the people against Moi's oppressive regime.
Today, however, the Church is an ally of the government, acting more like its fourth arm, a troubling shift as Kenyans confront an administration increasingly seen as disconnected and unresponsive to their needs.
#OccupyingChurches: A Bold Stand Against Political Intrusion
On Sunday, June 23rd, a significant event unfolded under the #OccupyingChurches banner. This campaign, part of the broader #7DaysOfRage movement, aimed to deny politicians who support the Finance Bill 2024 access to church pulpits to prevent them from spreading their false narratives.
The highlight was President William Ruto’s deployment of a heavily armed police presence at a church service he was scheduled to attend. Observers have noted the stark irony and desperation of such a move. The "God Fearing" president is terrified of his people. Notice the quaking of his feet.
Ruto's Contradictory Plea to Gen Z
In Nyahururu, at a church service for the consecration of Bishop Samson Mburu Gachathi, President Ruto attempted to belatedly engage with the rampaging youth, shutting the barn after the horse had bolted, as it were, acknowledging their unity and courage.
"The courage and unity that our youth have exhibited in the management of our country’s affairs is encouraging," he stated. "We will engage them to discuss their concerns and build a better Kenya for everyone.”
Ruto's plea rings hollow against the backdrop of escalating incidents of police abductions and brutal crackdowns on peaceful protesters.
Police Abductions and Public Outcry
The most egregious incidents involved the abductions of volunteer doctor Dr Austin Omondi aka JaPrado and Leslie Muturi, the son of Attorney General Justin Muturi.
Dr. Omondi was kidnapped on Sunday while conducting a blood donation drive, sparking outrage and condemnation from medical professionals and the public alike. The bizarre abduction of Leslie Muturi on Saturday night, while in the company of Deputy Minority Whip and Embakasi West Member of Parliament Mark Mwenje, highlights a government ready, willing, and able to "eat its own people" to maintain control, a prophetic exhortation previously echoed by H.E. Governor James Orengo, SC, not too long ago on the floor of Parliament: "Revolutions eat their own children," he warned then Dagoretti MP Beth Mugo. "Governments eat their own people. This government will punish you more than it will punish me." Years later, Orengo stands vindicated.Offering his two cents on the AG's son's abduction, Former Nairobi governor Ferdinand Waititu proffered a theory that paints a stark picture of a desperate government clutching at straws as infighting ravages it and reaches a discordant crescendo. Waititu sensationally claimed that the AG's son was abducted probably because Muturi “refused to do something” the Ruto regime demanded of him. Muturi is on record vehemently objecting to President William Ruto's extra-legal stands on key policy issues, most famously the dead-in-the-water star-crossed Housing Levy.
"Mumesikia kijana wa AG Justin Muturi jana amekuwa abducted na polisi?" Waitutu announced to an incredulous church congregation. "Anafungiwa mbele, walikuwa wanafuatana gari na Mheshimiwa Mwenje. Akafungiwa na polisi na akang’olewa kwa kiti, wakaenda na yeye na mpaka saa hii hajulikani pahali alipo. Ukiona namna hiyo, lazima kuna kitu Muturi amekataa. Amekataa kupelekwa kona kona, sasa wakajua wang’oe kijana yake, wakafinye kijana ndio aongee na baba."
And just like that, William Ruto has instantly deleted an entire 31 years of democratic progress since Kenyans forced Moi to repeal the notorious Section 2A of the old Construction, thereby opening the floodgates of multiparty politics, and returned us to the dark days of the Nyayo Error in the blink of an eye.
Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, head of the Anglican Church of Kenya, publicly criticised the President’s handling of the youth protests. Sapit's criticisms are laced with several layers of irony.
Firstly, as prelate of the ACK, the church in Nyahururu where Ruto arrived on Sunday with a force of impenetrable security falls within his prelature. That in itself is a powerful statement. But they also mark a significant departure from his previous support during Ruto’s contested election victory at Bomas of Kenya, where he proclaimed Ruto as "God's chosen," suggesting a possible attempt at redemption.Other church leaders also joined in the chorus.
And yet others were not so lucky.
In the end, William Ruto was heckled at Nyahururu ACK church, despite the heavy police deployment.
The Road Ahead: Parliament Protests
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