Pressure is mounting on President William Ruto and his government to reconsider the position on the current policies that are weighing heavily on Kenyans.
Religious leaders from the National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims in Nairobi County castigated Ruto for exploiting Kenyans.
In a press statement signed on Wednesday, October 9, by Reverend Alphonse Kanga, a member of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Simon Muiruri, a member of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), and Salim Ibrahim, a member of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), they urged the President to address the sticky issues.
“It is now with deep concern that we call upon the government of His Excellency President William Ruto to stop killing Kenyans with policies and laws that threaten the lives and future of the citizens,” part of the statement read.
Religious leaders urge Ruto to drop SHA
The religious leaders statement come at a time when there has been public uproar about several policies the Kenya Kwanza Government has passed and proposed.
Among the policies the leaders want the President to reconsider is the Social Health Insurance Fund Policy (SHIF).
Religious clerics argue that majority of Kenyans have been locked out of SHIF medical services following the abrupt suspension of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“People are dying. For how long will this continue? ”the leaders argued.
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The religious leaders called upon the president to revert to the NHIF so as to facilitate a seamless transition to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
They also urged the SHA authority to shift focus from the funds to be deducted from citizens and, instead, concentrate on ensuring service delivery to the people.
Another issue the leaders want the president to address is the New University Funding Model.
The religious clerics want the President to revert to the old funding model.
They argue that the new funding model has locked out many students from joining universities.
The leaders called upon the Ministry of Education to ensure financing of all the students so that they get equipped to assume their positions in society.
Other policies that clerics want dropped
Additionally, the leaders urged President Ruto to advise Members of Parliament (MPs) to withdraw the nine agriculture bills which they consider oppressive.
They argued that such bills threaten the food security of the country.
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Moreover, the religious leaders called on the President to cancel the concession of airports to Adani Airports Holdings Limited.
“The discussions on the matter in both National Assembly and Senate indicated that the approval of the Privately Initiated Proposal was fast-tracked and lacked the necessary scrutiny.
What is that the Kenya Airports Authority is unable to do that the foreigners will do? Were the approvals informed by genuine need or driven by corruption?” the leaders argued.
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