NCCK condemns rising wave of police brutality against unarmed protesters
Photo Courtesy: Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 27 – The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has strongly condemned State-Sponsored Abductions, Torture and Killings noting that the pain caused by the state-sponsored abductions, torture and killings of the youth is immeasurable.
“Kenya has indeed become a police state, Why is the government so determined to rule by fear and terror rather than simply applying the Constitution and Laws of Kenya?”, they posed.
Despite government affirmation of ending police brutality and extrajudicial killings, unarmed protestors exercising their democratic right of protesting peaceful have continued to receive brutal handling from police officers.
The church has called on all young people to condemn police brutality and stand firm in the demand for justice, accountability and good governance through peaceful demonstrations and civic engagement.
“The time for change is coming, we urge all of you to stand firm”.
Clergy and church leaders have been requested to dedicate worship services on Sunday June 29, 2025 to discuss matters on the youth, justice and accountability.
“Let it also be a day to mobilize material and financial support for the families that have been bereaved and the youth who have been injured or maimed in the demonstrations”, they said.
Ncck expressed concern that the government is seemingly creating a framework for manipulation of the 2027 General Elections.
“The blatant decision to disobey a court order and gazette the nominees for positions of Chairman and Commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is a case in point”.
“Did the President deliberately set up the nation so that the High Court nullifies the process and the country restarts the recruitment process? Is this a deliberate measure to continue denying Kenyans the right to enjoy the democracy they have fought so hard for?”. they asked.
Additionally, they demand that the President Ruto withdraws gazette notice to allow court process to be completed so that the country gets a credible IEBC soonest.
They further highlighted that the country is in a state of severe fiscal distress with the situation so severe that the government is taking away more than 50 percent of the income of salaried Kenyans through different taxes and levies.
“The business environment is so bad that businesses have relocated to neighbouring countries”.
Furthermore, they raised an alarm over Cabinet Secretary for Treasury proposal on a budget in which the government intends to spend KShs 4.29 trillion against a projected revenue collection of KShs 3.3 trillion.
“Where will the other trillion shillings come from? Is the government setting up Kenyans for higher taxation and more borrowing?”.
NCCK has called all citizens raise their voices and demand that as a nation to live within their means, and demand that the national and county governments end the culture of waste and corruption and instead focus on growing cottage industries as drivers of the economy.
“We must communicate that we are tired of living in government-manufactured poverty”.
