NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 13 — The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has condemned the disruption of a post-budget dialogue forum at All Saints Cathedral by “state-sponsored goons,” demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the incident.
The forum, convened on Friday by civil society organizations, was intended to interrogate the 2026/27 national budget unveiled by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on Thursday.
It sought to discuss the Sh4.84 trillion spending plan which included a Sh567.3 billion allocation to the security sector—one of the largest votes in the budget covering the military, police, intelligence services, prisons, and internal administration.
In a statement issued Friday, NCCK described the events at the cathedral as a “blatant and despicable desecration” of a sacred place of worship.
“The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) is appalled at the blatant and despicable desecration of the All Saints Cathedral, a sacred place of worship, by state-sponsored goons earlier today,” the statement read.
The church umbrella body questioned why armed individuals were allegedly deployed to disrupt a public discussion on the budget, suggesting the action was aimed at preventing citizens from scrutinizing the government’s spending plans.
“Why would a government official send armed goons to disrupt a Post Budget Dialogue Forum organized by registered civil society organizations?” NCCK posed.
“What is the government trying to stop the citizens of Kenya discussing and noticing in the 2026-2027 budget presented yesterday?”
‘Known sponsor’
The council demanded the arrest of a government official it claimed had been named as the sponsor of the disruption.
“We demand that the government official who was named as the sponsor of the goons be arrested and prosecuted immediately,” the statement said.
NCCK also defended the public’s constitutional right to access information and participate in governance processes.
“The right of Kenyans to access information held by state that is guaranteed in Article 35 of the Constitution must be respected,” it stated.
NCCK warned that public officials would ultimately be held accountable for their actions, invoking a biblical passage from Matthew 10:26.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known,” the statement quoted.
The statement was signed by NCCK Chairperson Rev. Dr. Elias Otieno Agola and General Secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui.
