Kenyan church call for tax cuts: The Church of England Newspaper, Oct 14, 2011 p 6.

First printed in The Church of England Newspaper.

Tax cuts, prayer, and efficient government were among the chief topics of the Anglican Church of Kenya’s provincial synod last month.

Meeting at the All Saints’ Cathedral Trinity Centre on 30 Sept 2011, the synod released a pastoral letter under the signature of the Archbishop of Kenya Dr. Eliud Wabukala that touched upon a series of industrial accidents and other issues facing the nation.

To “those who have lost loved ones in the several cases of road carnage, the Sinai slum and Busia tanker fires, deaths caused by the consumption of lethal local brews, collapsing of buildings under construction and the inhaling of poisonous chlorine fumes in Shauri Moyo,” the church offered its prayers and support.

“Some of these disasters are preventable, if only individuals and corporate institutions would be more proactive in protection of human life,” said Dr. Wabukala.

The church faulted the government’s response to recent calamities, saying “little has been done to implement the Disaster Preparedness policies and prescribed regulations” set down by law.  Nor had the government enforced regulations prohibiting the illicit production of alcohol, which had led to a rash of poison deaths.

“As Christians, there is no question on the effectiveness of prayer when dealing with threats to human life. We call upon churches across denominations to join in prayer for comfort and peace for all who are bereaved and for God to avert the disasters that have been witnessed in our country,” the synod letter  said.

In the wake of rising food, fuel and housing prices, the church also urged the Government to cut taxes to stimulate the economy.  In addition to their economic stimulus value, the tax cuts would “be a show of concern and solidarity with the majority of Kenyans who are struggling to make ends meet.”

The synod also called upon Parliament to refrain from piecemeal amendments to the constitution and joined in tribute to the late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai.  “Her efforts positioned Kenya in the map of the world as a land capable of bringing forth a heroine whose resilience, commitment and vision won her praise and accolades worldwide.”

She was a “passionate environmentalist who stood firm against deforestation and paid a great price to reclaim grabbed public land at a time when land grabbing was rife in the country. Her legacy echoes to each one of us to be a hummingbird, doing the best we can to bring the change we want to see” in Kenya, the synod said.