The National Council Churches of Kenya (NCCK), has urged the government to intensify the war on corruption, to curb theft and wastage of public funds.
NCCK Nyanza Region Chairman, Rev. John Mark Godia, said corruption was rampant in the two levels of government, with public resources meant for development being used to nourish individuals’ pockets.
Corruption, he said, was so rampant in government offices, affecting service delivery and leading to the impoverishment of Kenyans, who are struggling with the high cost of living.
“It is very sad that some government officials in both the County and National levels, have adopted the horrendous trend of competing with each other, as to who is more corrupt than the other,” he said.
He pointed out corruption in land registries, where innocent Kenyans have been conned and lost land to a cabal of corrupt government officials.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), he said, must intensify the war by going for all corrupt government officials, to tame the voice and ensure Kenyans live dignified lives.
Rev. Godia who was elected to head NCCK in Nyanza, during the 14th Regional Conference held in Kisumu, called for a shift in government budgets, to focus on production and value addition, to seal loopholes presented by purchase of goods and services budgets.
He further called on the EACC, National Police Service, the Judiciary, National Assembly and the Executive, to end meaningless bickering and play their roles, to ensure that any person found engaging in corruption is brought to book.
EACC, he added, must change tact and focus on instilling ethics and values through capacity building forums, and in the education curriculum at all levels, adding that the Church was ready to partner with them, through offering spaces within the Church for the forums.
“On our part, we commit to take the period between now and the next elections, to educate our people on integrity and values. We will integrate the same in our churches,” he said.
He called on all Kenyans to rise-up and demand for the full implementation of Chapter Six of the Constitution of Kenya, to root out corruption and bad governance.
Rev. Godia further called for a review of the Finance Bill 2024, which was tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday, saying some of the proposals in the document, were set to dent the pockets of Kenyans further given the tough economic times.
He urged the National Assembly to put into consideration the views of Kenyans on the document during the public participation, to ensure that the proposed taxation is favourable.
“It is shocking to us that government officials can be so insensitive, as to propose new taxes in the Finance Bill 2024. This is increasing depression among the people and we don’t know whether the government has considered the implications of a depressed and angry populace,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara
