Civil societies have backed the Church over its criticism of the Kenya Kwanza government.

The groups Wednesday said President William Ruto’s administration has undermined national interest through corruption, poor governance and violation of human rights.

Speaking ahead of the President address to Parliament Thursday, the organisations said Kenyans expect him to tackle the issues affecting them.

“There has been a number of statements which have been issued by the religious movement and all these groups have spoken on behalf of all Kenyans and the issues we are going to raise also concuss with some of those positions,” said Kenya Human Rights Commission Executive Director Davis Malombe.

He said the state of the nation address comes at a time when nearly 75 per cent of Kenyans believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction and a majority of them blaming the President.

“Every sector of the political economy of our country is worse off than it was when Mr William Ruto was sworn in as the President of Kenya in September 2022,” said Malombe.

“We believe the main reason the country is headed in the wrong direction is because Kenya has a President who does not listen to the people.”

According to the groups, the biggest crisis is impunity and failure to observe the Constitution.

They blamed the President for weakening, intimidating and paralysing constitutional bodies including Parliament, the Judiciary, constitutional commissions and independent offices.

Vivian Mwende, head of programmes at the Independent Medico Legal Unit, said the wave of extrajudicial killings, abductions, arbitrary arrests and other forms of violations have escalated.

“This administration has turned Kenya into a police state. Ironically, it is this very President who promised that none of these egregious acts of human rights violations were going to take place under his administration.” 

She said Ruto’s regime ought to be investigated for the country to establish what exactly happened during the 2023 Azimio-led demonstrations and this year’s Gen Z protests.

The human rights activists also raised concerns over the dropping of cases brought against corrupt public officials.

“The cases of mega corruption under the Ruto regime are dizzying. For example, the edible oil scandal, the fake fertiliser scandal, the Adani deals, among others, and for which to date there has been no action,” said Mwende.

They also raised concern on the rising public debt. “On the public debt economy and the budget deficit, we demand an immediate forensic audit of Kenya’s national public debt through a multisectoral commission led by the Auditor General,” said Malombe.

With appointment of leaders in the opposition to the Cabinet, the civil society groups said Kenyans have been left on their own.

“We believe that the Ruto administration has lost direction and this administration cannot be entrusted with upholding the national interest,” said Julie Waiwa from International Commission of Jurists.

They noted that government’s policies and actions have weakened unity. “Kenyans are very united at the moment but in their quest to end the wastage, lavish living, corruption and incompetence of the ruling elite,” said UDPK representative Loise Bonyo

The groups also faulted the government for the rushed implementation of the new healthcare scheme that has further exacerbated the suffering of patients who now have to go into their pockets to be treated.