The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Thursday raised concern over the growing disregard for the sanctity of life.
The conference warned that the country risks sliding into a dangerous culture of violence, trafficking, political intolerance and corruption unless urgent action is taken.
In a message titled “Protect life and prosper”, the bishops said Kenyans were becoming increasingly insensitive to death, citing past tragedies such as Shakahola and recent reports of killings in parts of the Rift Valley.
The clerics said the circumstances surrounding some of the deaths remain unresolved, and warned that the victims—often from poor communities—tend to be forgotten quickly.
“We seem to have become insensitive to killing. People are dying and we are moving on like nothing happened,” the bishops said in the statement.
They called for accountability and respect for the sanctity of life.
The bishops also expressed concern about the rise in human trafficking, urging authorities to take decisive action to stop the vice.
The bishops said cases of road accidents were increasing due to reckless driving and disregard of traffic laws, blaming corruption for weakening enforcement.
They challenged passengers to refuse to travel in vehicles driven carelessly and urged police to end bribery on the roads, saying corruption among some officers had contributed to the loss of lives.
The bishops further decried what they called growing political intolerance and goonism, saying indecent language and public insults by leaders were embarrassing and undermining national cohesion.
They said Kenya must not normalise a culture where goons disrupt public meetings, places of worship and community gatherings, warning that such acts can only thrive if protected by powerful individuals and tolerated by law enforcement.
“We are appalled by the patronage culture that promotes goonism. This culture can only thrive if protected by their masters. It is happening in sight of law enforcement officers,” the statement said.
The bishops urged leaders to exercise restraint, noting that politics and leadership are duties rather than entitlements, and warning that children were watching and learning from public conduct.
They also called for respect for the role of the opposition, saying it must be treated with dignity, and urged leaders to avoid turning religious functions into political arenas.
On health, the bishops warned that delays in payments to faith-based facilities were threatening care, citing debts of Sh5.7 billion owed to Catholic facilities, including Sh3.3 billion in NHIF arrears.
They also raised concern over the transition to the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the scheme was not working seamlessly and had serious shortcomings that require urgent solutions.
In education, the clerics criticised the rollout of the competency-based education (CBE), arguing that it was poorly thought out and implemented, capital-intensive and requiring more resources.
They urged the Ministry of Education to set up a team to review how CBE is being implemented, warning against placing children in what they described as an “experimental” system.
The bishops also raised concern over what they termed efforts to diminish the role of sponsors in the system.
The bishops also took aim at corruption, saying greed and graft had been normalised and that there was little goodwill to fight the vice from the top.
They referenced a dispute involving an alleged attempt to dispossess Catholic sisters of land in Karen, saying the case illustrated persistent challenges in tackling corruption and protecting property rights.
In addition, the bishops said they were defending the institution of marriage, but noted challenges in civil registration, including slow clearance processes and a shortage of marriage certificates, which they said was discouraging couples from formalising unions.
The bishops also called for prayers for peace in the Middle East amid war, saying conflict and instability have ripple effects and urging the government to mitigate the impact locally.
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