(KCCB) The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops has called on President William Ruto to reduce the cost of living that is among other emerging issues presently plaguing the country. The Bishops, in a press conference held on Friday, spoke a day after the President gave his first State of the Nation address in Parliament.
The clergymen decried the state of the economy and the high cost of living as the most pressing issues that the Kenya Kwanza administration should be devoted to solving.
“We plead for a wider consultation and discussion within government and other stakeholders to review and study ways we can address and mitigate the effects of the high cost of living,” they stated in a joint press address read by Catholic Archbishop of Nyeri Archdiocese Anthony Muheria.
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The men of the cloth called on the President Ruto-led regime to make a commitment to Kenyans on the way forward to ease their economic burden.
“Assistance in the agricultural production, better coordinated sale of products, the fair prices for products like maize, waiver of certain licenses and zero rating of far inputs …. can relieve many Kenyans of the burden,” the statement added.
The clergy Bishops did not shy away from addressing other issues like over-taxation, unemployment, and what they termed as the dignity of every Kenyan as well as the loopholes in the education system that they said need the government’s immediate action.
They also called on the administration to rein in on the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), which due to its current taxation policies – the clergymen stated – is forcing businesses to close and lay off employees due to an increased burden.
“We appeal to the government to find reasonable balance between desired income for the government and the minimum protection of basic needs of the very ordinary Kenyans and respect to their dignity,” they said.
The clergy Bishops further lauded the ongoing bipartisan talks, terming them as a crucial initiative aimed at addressing the deep-rooted issues of Kenyans.
However, they sought to be included in future discussions which is in matters of national importance.
“We believe the substantive discussions arising from these talks can be further expanded to include many stakeholders and religious leaders to ensure acceptance and ownership by citizens,” they said.