By Elias Kayaga
Things happen quite fast these days. Some Kenyans have even joked that they are struggling to “catch up with the syllabus.”
Chinua Achebe says that when you see a frog jumping in a broad daylight, just know that there is something wrong or something must be after its life.
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Recently, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops came out to state that it was not amused of the government of the day’s insensitivity.
In the same week, US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman tendered her resignation before the end of her term.
Speculations are live that she couldn’t wait to be recalled by the abrasive President- elect Donald Trump forms his cabinet and makes other strategic government appointments.
Recently, the impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the Forth President Uhuru Kenyatta, President William Ruto and his Deputy Abraham Kithure Kindiki met at a church service in Embu.
This was during the consecration of Bishop Kimani of Embu Diocese. Such meeting of high-profile leaders has not been witnessed in the recent past.
The church accorded them the opportunity to share a podium just two days after the presidency felt that the bishops were attacking it.
The bishops, through their Chair Archbishop Maurice Makumba Muhatia of Kisumu Archdiocese and his Vice Chairperson Archbishop Anthony Muheria, the archdiocese of Nyeri branded the leadership of Kenya Kwanza as a government of lies.
The Catholic clergy outlined what they considered as not working: the newly created Social Health Authority and the Social Health Insurance Fund which was born to replace National Hospital Insurance Fund- NHIF.
It was documented that there is nothing working with this new system and that the defunct NHIF closed shop with over three Billion owed to Missionary Health facilities.
They said that despite most of these policies not working, the top leadership of the government seems to peddle lies that everything is okay.
Protests
The President had once promised right after the Gen Z demonstration that he was to ensure that the process of selection of IEBC Commissioners was to start- nothing so far has been done. It has not happened.
The uncertainty of the University Funding Model (UFM), the confusion with newly rolled out Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) was also called out as a sign of failure on the part of the government.
They echoed the sentiments of many Kenyans that they were overburdened with taxes and that the government of the day was aloof, discussing bills meant to extend the term limit of elected leaders from five years to seven. The question is, what are our priorities as a nation?
The Gen Z protests in June led to abductions and disappearance of the young people yet the government security agencies are yet to issue a statement on the same.
Of interest is not the statement of the Catholic Bishops but the agility of the response from the government agents: the cabinet Secretary Health, the Cabinet Secretary Education, the Leader of Majority of the both Houses, National Assembly and the Senate, the Deputy Speaker of the national assembly and many other leaders in the government.
Most of the pro government agents were of the opinions that the Bishops were wrong.
One actually said that the Bishops were attacking Dr Ruto Government because he is not a Catholic as his two predecessors; His Excellencies Emilio Mwai Kibaki (late) and Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, the fourth.
In spirit of trying to understand the thinking of the Catholic top leadership in the country, the Church service at Soweto was attended and a donation was given.
Sinking low
Archbishop Phillip Anyolo wrote a memo to the effect that they will return the donation of the Governor of Nairobi and that of the head of state. They are walking the talk- head our advice.
How low can we sink as leaders? That we do not want to hear anything that is contrary to what we know.
Moi University has literally collapsed; a student was interviewed on TV crying that she has taken nine years studying an undergraduate course.
The students at the university are idle there as the lecturers are on strike for weeks now.
Inquire how many patients are turned away from their facilities because the SHIF is not working.
It is a worse scenario in private hospitals, for this, the nurses and Clinical Officers who had not taken their annual leave days are forced to take them, many without pay for there are no patients in the wards.
Take note, there are no patients in the wards, not because the citizens are no longer sick but because many depended on NHIF and the shift to SHIF is moribund!
The transition was so chaotic that many hospitals are owed by the NHIF and that they cannot be trusted by their suppliers.
The Bishops are being crucified that they are starved of the brown envelopes and could be the reason they have come out bitter.
The Catholic Church is one of the religious groups with immense wealth. It has invested heavily in schools, hospitals and real estate.
In addition to spiritual nourishment, the Roman Catholic seems to operate on the maxim that “you do not have to live in pain on earth to inherit the kingdom of heaven, make peoples’ lives better here on earth first-live with dignity.”
The Catholic Church runs many charitable organizations and activities with minimal strain because they have clear structures on finances.
They are the least to beg on brown envelopes. If they ever ask for money, it is either a fundraising for a church, a Seminary, a school, a hospital or to support in the Ordination and feed visitors during special occasions like yesterday’s consecration and installation of the Bishop of Embu Diocese.
The pro-government honchos should take the reminder of the Bishops seriously. They represent the voices of many Kenyans.
Insensitivity
The government’s insensitivity is clear in the manner they are collecting taxes and yet there is very little returns. A huge number of young people are unemployed
The best we do hear from the government is lies: we have these number of jobs in Germany, we have procured electric motorcycles, and we have created jobs in the affordable Housing Programme and many more.
Is it possible for the common Mwananchi to feel this improved economy?
Most salaried people cannot take any loan to invest for they are basically at the base of the third rule.
Most of those who had loans have had their years of repayment extended up to two years after the banks increased the interest rates and the burden is on the common man.
Someone was joking that it is very rare to see a new currency note lately.
One is likely to see fifty and hundred shilling notes that have circulated in over thirty Counties, and most of them appear dark as if they have been exchanged between charcoal dealers.
If you see a new note, definitely know there was a politician in your place on that day, who was dishing out money for some of the electorate to swell their crowds- if at all your elected leader is “generous enough.
Have these pro government leaders not heard the CS Treasury say there is need to tax Social Media platforms over and above the 15% they taxman takes?
Who will bear the burden, is it not the citizens who voices are being raised through the bishops?
The defenders of government policies will be quick to say that the economy is doing well.
The price of a packet of Unga has dropped, the price of refilling a gas cylinder has dropped. Yes, even if they drop, do the citizens have money to purchase those items?
It is insensitive to say that is the Catholic clergy who see that we are headed in the wrong direction.
The Anglican Church Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has severally requested the government to reconsider amending its pre-election pledges.
He has advised to leaders to stop lying to the Kenyans that they will deliver this and that as they justify their over-taxation.
Archbishop Ole Sapit is not a Catholic! The leader of the National Council of Churches of Kenya also registered his sentiments sometimes back, listen to them.
Meritocracy
We have seen appointments done, some on merit and others as rewards as a result of their roles in the 2022 elections, the President need to trust these people to deliver. Most seem to work under fear.
A cabinet Secretary can issue a policy statement today which the president might contradict the following day.
In such environment, a supervisee will tread carefully in order to keep their job, outcome being, dysfunctional and uncoordinated system.
Kenyans need services. They are peace loving and majority are ever industrious.
They need an enabling environment to do business and live in dignity. This is not too much to ask.
This quote from Mahatma Gandhi of India rings in my head:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Mr Kayaga teaches English and Literature at Kereri Girls’ High School
eliasmoturi1@gmail.com
