MASENO EAST, Kisumu -As Kenya grapples with a wave of school arson attacks and a record Sh4.8 trillion national budget, the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Diocese of Maseno East has issued a fiery pastoral rebuke, warning that the nation faces not just an education crisis but a deeper moral and spiritual decay.
The Rt. Rev. CPA Bernard Otieno Owuor has condemned the recent student unrest, strikes and destruction of learning institutions describing schools as “sacred spaces of formation,”
The Maseno East Diocese Bishop said that the burning of dormitories and classrooms reflects a deeper crisis of values, resilience, responsibility, and character formation.
While condemning the violence, the Church faulted systemic failures like academic pressure, mental health struggles, family instability and overcrowding in schools.
“The burning of schools is not merely a discipline problem,” the statement reads. “A nation that prioritizes grades while neglecting values risks producing successful individuals who lack moral foundations.”
Turning to the newly unveiled Sh4.8 trillion budget, Bishop Owuor called it “a moral statement of a nation’s priorities.” He urged the government to ensure allocations reflect equity, transparency and care for the vulnerable.
Specifically, the diocese demanded increased investment in education, healthcare, agriculture and youth empowerment, warning that the current fiscal plan arrives as Kenyans face a high cost of living and mounting public debt.
“We are not spectators,” the clergy affirmed. The Church demanded strengthened school chaplaincy and counseling services, genuine dialogue between students and administrators and parental accountability not blind defense of errant children.
Bishop Owuor accompanied by other church leaders sent a direct appeal to students: “True courage is not demonstrated through violence. Choose to be builders rather than destroyers.”
A national call to prayer and reflection was issued, asserting that no budget or policy can succeed without spiritual renewal.
“May this budget foster hope,” Bishop Owuor prayed, “and contribute to a peaceful, God-fearing Kenya where no citizen is left behind.”
