Arrest goons or quit, Sapit tells Kanja over All Saints raid

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The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) has condemned what it describes as an increasing trend of using intimidation, violence and fear to silence Kenyans, which must be put to an urgent stop.

Head of ACK, Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit, yesterday demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of goons who have been intimidating Kenyans, failure to which the Inspector General of Police (IG) Douglas Kanja should resign.

He condemned the continued invasion of institutions, saying in situations where young people are recruited to threaten fellow citizens, force replaces dialogue, and fear becomes a tool of public engagement.

In a heavily worded statement he read during the Sunday service, Sapit wondered who owns the goons who attack people in broad daylight and go scot-free.

“If the police cannot bring to book those who attack people in churches, hotels and streets, and in broad daylight, whose faces were identified in CCTV footage, whose motorbike number plates were clearly seen, then they failed to protect Kenyans. If that is not revealed, we demand that the IG resign because he has failed in his job,” said Sapit.

He made the remarks after goons invaded All Saints Cathedral on Friday, where they disrupted a post-budget conference, saying many hearts are heavy and minds troubled.

Uncertain future of the nation

Chaos was reported in the precincts of the church as goons engaged in confrontation with security guards, after forcing their way into the compound.

This is not the first time such an incident has been reported. Members of the opposition have found themselves in similar situations several times, and scores of people have been left injured.

Yesterday, Sapit said he was forced to cancel other church engagements he was scheduled to attend and chose to go to All Saints because of the Friday incident.

He said Kenyans have watched with disbelief, anger and disappointment, wondering what such events of invasion say about the nation and its future.

He regretted that some human beings imagine that power belongs to those who can intimidate, threaten or control others. “We live at a time when people are tempted to believe power belongs to the people who command the largest voices, crowds or those with the capacity to intimidate others, with ammunition and can kill,” he stated.

“As a nation, we must reflect carefully. We have witnessed a disturbing growth in the use of intimidation and violence within our public lives. What happened within this Cathedral on Friday did not begin yesterday; it is part of a wider culture and has been growing within our society, year after year.”

He said the trend should concern all Kenyans, not because All Saints Cathedral is more important than other institutions, but because when violence becomes acceptable in one space, it threatens every other.

The Archbishop insisted that the Cathedral remains a sanctuary at the heart of Nairobi, a space for worship and for reflection on anything that concerns life, noting that its historic role in shielding the vulnerable will not be shaken.