Kenyan Churches to Dedicate Sunday Services to Victims of June 25 Demonstrations

As political tensions escalate following recent anti-government protests, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) is calling on its member churches to publicly champion justice, youth welfare, and political accountability. 

In a statement released on Thursday evening, the council instructs clergy to dedicate Sunday services on 29 June to these critical issues and to support those affected by the demonstrations. The NCCK's directive emerges in response to widespread demonstrations, which turned violent on Wednesday, resulting in over 400 injuries and at least ten fatalities, primarily in Nairobi. 

Churches are now being urged to use their platforms to advocate for youth empowerment and demand accountability from public officials. Congregations are also being mobilised to provide both material and financial aid to victims of the unrest, including bereaved families and young people injured in the protests. 

In a move signalling concern over political interference within religious spaces, the council advises churches to reject any politicisation of services. Clergy are instructed to prevent politicians from using church services as a platform for partisan views and to ensure donations from public figures remain discreet. This measure reflects the NCCK's broader effort to sanitise sanctuaries and eliminate political interests from places of worship.

The NCCK's intervention coincides with rising political criticism, particularly from Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who condemns church leaders and the international community for what he considers biased opposition against the government. Following the protests, Murkomen accused religious leaders of ignoring the suffering of police officers caught in the violence. 

"I know that there will be no bishop or church member, neither Catholic nor Anglican, who will come out to defend the police," he remarked. "Nobody will speak about how the police were injured."