Officials elected to the NCCK County Coordinating Committees and the Regional Committee in the Nyanza Region concluded a two-day induction workshop at Friends Church Kisumu. With their three-year term commencing, the workshop emphasized the importance of unity and national cohesion, inspired by Psalm 133:1 and 3, which highlight the blessings of brothers living together in unity.
The NCCK officials underscored the urgency of reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The prolonged delay in appointing IEBC commissioners has jeopardized Kenya’s political stability, causing missed deadlines for boundary reviews and unheld by-elections in four wards and one constituency. The High Court’s orders to expedite the IEBC Selection Panel’s work remain unheeded, while Parliament has yet to process the IEBC Amendment Bill. The NCCK called on President William Ruto and parliamentary leaders to set aside political differences and expedite these critical appointments to safeguard Kenya’s democratic future.
Furthermore, the NCCK emphasized the need for people-driven electoral reforms. They criticized the National Assembly’s adoption of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report without public participation. To ensure inclusivity, they urged the publication of the NADCO report and the organization of county-level feedback sessions. The church committed to educating the public on these reforms, provided Parliament demonstrates goodwill.
Education and healthcare were also focal points. The NCCK highlighted delays in school capitation funds and the disruption caused by a junior school teachers’ strike, calling for prompt Ministry of Education interventions. They also stressed the critical state of healthcare, with many facilities lacking medicines and suffering from the National Health Insurance Fund’s (NHIF) financial failures. The transition to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) must address these debts, they urged.
Finally, the NCCK praised the extensive public participation in the Finance Bill 2024 process, urging lawmakers to heed citizens’ concerns. They called for a financial dispensation fostering hope and dignified livelihoods.
In conclusion, the NCCK reaffirmed the centrality of unity in promoting peace, national cohesion, and prosperity, invoking the spirit of the Kenyan National Anthem. “May God bless the Nyanza Region now and always,” signed Rt Rev John Mark Godia, Regional Chairman, NCCK Nyanza Region.
