The National Treasury has launched an ambitious nationwide campaign to use religious leaders as conduits for government information, saying the move is aimed at combating misinformation surrounding the Finance Bill and the implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Speaking in Kisumu during the Grassroots Economic Dialogue, dubbed ‘Gumzo la Uchumi Mashinani’, Principal Secretary (PS) for Economic Planning Boniface Makokha said the government had resolved to engage churches and other faith-based institutions to ensure accurate information reaches citizens at the grassroots.
The forum, held at Migosi Primary School and attended by hundreds of inter-denominational religious leaders from across Kisumu County, forms part of a national programme being rolled out in all 47 counties.
Makokha said the initiative was born out of the realization that many Kenyans remain unaware of government programmes due to inadequate communication.
“We discovered that many of the things government is doing are not known at the grassroots, not because people are unwilling to know, but because we have not reached them effectively,” he said.
The PS said the programme began in Malava Constituency before expanding to Mwatate and later Busia, where more than 1,000 pastors and bishops participated in similar engagements.
According to Makokha, religious leaders have emerged as strategic partners in disseminating government information and collecting feedback from wananchi on the impact of government programmes.
“We have one mandate, serving the people of this country. Religious leaders are part of the stakeholders who interact with citizens daily and can help ensure information reaches communities without distortion,” he said.
A key focus of the dialogue was addressing what the PS termed widespread misinformation regarding provisions in the proposed Finance Bill.
He singled out claims that the government intends to introduce taxes on freehold land ownership, dismissing them as false.
“There is propaganda that freehold land will be taxed. That provision is not in our Finance Bill. What people are circulating online is not the official government document,” he said.
Makokha also sought to clarify concerns over taxation on mobile phones, arguing that proposals contained in the Finance Bill would lower rather than increase the tax burden on handsets.
He explained that the government plans to consolidate multiple taxes currently imposed on mobile phones into a single tax structure.
“People are being told phone prices will rise because taxes have been increased to 25 per cent. The truth is that we are collapsing several taxes that currently amount to about 55.5 per cent into a single tax of 25 per cent. The overall cost should actually come down,” he said.
The PS accused some individuals of deliberately spreading misleading information online and urged Kenyans to verify information from official government sources.
“We have propaganda and we have the truth. Citizens must distinguish between the two and authenticate what they consume online,” he said.
Makokha revealed that the government has established a county and ward-based structure of religious leaders to sustain engagement beyond the dialogue forums.
In Kisumu, representatives have been identified in all 35 wards to coordinate communication and relay feedback from communities.
He said resolutions emerging from the forums would be disseminated through the established networks, including digital platforms and periodic review meetings involving faith leaders.
The government, he said, plans to extend the programme to cover all the 47 counties in the coming months as it seeks to deepen public participation and improve awareness of state programmes.
Responding to concerns that the initiative could be viewed as politicizing the church, Makokha insisted the engagements were intended to promote truthful communication and accountability rather than partisan politics.
“I will not come here and tell people what is not true or what is not contained in government documents. Where government is doing well, let us acknowledge it. Where we are not doing well, tell us and we shall listen,” he said.
The Gumzo la Uchumi Mashinani forums are being spearheaded by the State Department for Economic Planning under the National Treasury, as part of efforts to strengthen public understanding of government policies and the implementation of the BETA development agenda.
By Chris Mahandara
