ACK sounds alarm over rising taxes, corruption, political violence

By  Mercy Simiyu

Correspondent

What you need to know:

• Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit said the country was already witnessing a premature and increasingly toxic political atmosphere.
• The ACK further raised concern over unemployment, rising living costs, struggling businesses and the increasing tax burden.

The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) has warned that Kenya risks sliding back into political violence, ethnic mobilisation and intimidation as the 2027 General Election approaches.

In its strongest criticism yet of the Government, the church also condemned rising taxes, corruption, the misuse of public resources, human rights violations and the deteriorating health sector.

Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit said the country was already witnessing a “premature and increasingly toxic political atmosphere” that threatened to deepen divisions ahead of the elections.

He singled out the exploitation of unemployed young people as instruments of political conflict, warning that their lives were being sacrificed for political ambitions.

“The resurgence of hooliganism, inflammatory rhetoric, ethnic polarisation, and organised disruption of political activity should alarm every Kenyan of goodwill. Particularly troubling is the exploitation of unemployed youth as instruments of political conflict,” Archbishop Sapit said.

“Young lives are being traded for political ambition. We state unequivocally that this is evil and unacceptable. We mourn those who have lost their lives in recent political confrontations. No office is worth the blood of a Kenyan. No ambition justifies violence,” he added.

The ACK urged political leaders to lower the political temperature and reject incitement, while calling on security agencies to act impartially and uphold the law without fear or favour.

It also called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently prepare for free, fair, transparent, credible and verifiable elections.

“Peaceful elections are not achieved on polling day. They are built through justice, trust, and preparation long before ballots are cast,” Archbishop Sapit said.

On corruption, the church described the vice as “the nation’s deepest wound”, saying the misuse and theft of public resources was denying Kenyans essential services and opportunities.

Ordinary Kenyans suffering

It said citizens were tired of investigations without convictions and scandals without consequences, demanding decisive action from anti-corruption agencies, investigative bodies and the Judiciary.

“Justice must not recognise political status, wealth, or influence,” the archbishop said.

The church also criticised the deteriorating health sector, citing the prolonged nurses’ strike and persistent challenges that have left ordinary Kenyans suffering.

It urged the national and county governments to urgently engage health workers and resolve the disputes, saying the crisis had exposed systemic weaknesses.

“Healthcare is not a privilege for the wealthy,” Archbishop Sapit said. The statement, issued after the ACK Standing Committee of the Provincial Synod met at All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi from September 22 to 24, also opposed aspects of the proposed Basic Education Bill.

The church warned Parliament against advancing legislation affecting millions of children without adequate consultation and consensus among stakeholders.

It said attempts to remove its sponsorship roles, rights and mandate were a matter of concern and called for a pause in the legislative process to allow engagement among teachers, parents, faith communities, education experts and sponsors.

The ACK further raised concern over unemployment, rising living costs, struggling businesses and the increasing tax burden.

“Taxation is necessary for nation-building, but taxation that impoverishes citizens while public resources are squandered becomes an instrument of injustice,” it said.

The church called on the Government to review policies that deepen hardship and protect public resources from “theft, waste, and abuse”. It warned that Kenyans could not be expected to continue making sacrifices while corruption persisted.

The ACK said Kenya was at a defining moment and that the crisis facing the country was not merely political or economic, but also “moral and spiritual”.

It called on the Church, Government, political leaders, institutions and citizens to embrace “repentance, integrity, and responsibility before God and one another.”

“The crisis before us is not merely political or economic. It is moral and spiritual. Nations do not collapse overnight; they decay when truth is abandoned, when justice is neglected, and when leaders place ambition above service,” Archbishop Sapit said.

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