Protesters during Saba Saba demonstrations in Kangemi, Nairobi, July 7, 2025.The Inter-Religious Council of Kenya has issued a solemn appeal to the government and citizens alike to de-escalate tensions and commit to restoring peace and justice amid ongoing unrest linked to the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
In a press statement released at the close of a three-day retreat at Ulwazi Place, Nairobi, the religious leaders warned that the nation is teetering on the brink of collapse due to what they described as “a fight by the dominant political elite to acquire, protect and consolidate political and economic power.”
This struggle, they said, has fuelled unprecedented levels of violence, tension and the killing of innocent citizens.
"Kenya is in a very sad and dangerous state," they said in a statement signed by IRCK chairman Rt Rev Willybard Lagho and executive director Linus Nthigai.
The council expressed grave concern over the state’s handling of recent protests, which they said have degenerated into chaos marked by destruction of property, abductions, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
“We cannot continue like this as a nation,” the statement read.
“The state, through ineptitude or deliberate provocations, has turned expressions of discontent into murderous chaos.”
Their remarks come in the wake of troubling revelations that dozens of people died during the Saba Saba protests on July 7.
While police placed the death toll at 11, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) put the number at 31.
Calling for immediate accountability, the IRCK challenged constitutional commissions to act against the abuse of power and the use of security forces for political ends.
They further called on politicians to cease exploiting religion and ethnicity for political mobilisation, warning that such tactics are undermining the social fabric of the nation.
The clergy also urged President William Ruto’s administration to restore public trust by prosecuting senior state officials implicated in acts of violence and financial impropriety.
They called for the urgent establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate all fatalities arising from protests since June 2024, insisting that Kenya must build its future “on a platform of truth.”
“We must not allow our nation to descend into anarchy,” the statement continued, citing scripture in a plea for reason and reconciliation.
“Come, let us reason together,” the council quoted from the book of Isaiah, while also invoking the Quran’s exhortation to cooperate in virtue and conscience.
The council pledged to offer mediation between the government, protesting youth and other actors to promote peaceful coexistence.
“Let us use all lawful means available to address the socio-economic challenges facing our land,” IRCK chair Rt Rev Willybard Lagho said.
Reiterating a call to national unity and prayer, the statement concluded with a line from Kenya’s National Anthem: “Justice be our shield and defender.”
The clergy’s appeal comes at a critical moment in Kenya’s political and social landscape, as public frustration continues to mount over governance, economic inequality, and security force abuses.
