–– Gideon Mpeni
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This past week has been marked by shocks, frustration, and what the Kenyan citizens may term as palpable failure in nation-building, state construction, and development. When the protests, dubbed “Occupy Parliament”, began on Tuesday the 18th of June, Wycliffe Muia reports that it all looked peaceful. However Anti-tax protesters in Kenya are in shock after a 29-year-old man was killed during the nationwide demonstrations against a new finance bill. Rex Kanyike Masai, who was protesting on Thursday in the centre of Nairobi, died of gunshot wounds, as reported by a doctor from a hospital in the capital, as per a local newspaper. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at largely peaceful protesters near parliament as lawmakers were debating proposals to bring in new taxes.
“It is just one life”, some may argue, “does it really matter?” Yes, it does, especially from a Biblical point of view. The Kenyan government ought to realise the primary task that God has assigned to it is to protect and preserve its citizens.
For Kenya, this has been long coming, as observed last year. Basillio Rukanga on BBC News on the 19th of July 2023 points out the facts that the young people today are protesting against. Back in July 2023, the Government data showed that the prices of some key food products had risen considerably in the 12 months to June. The government continues to defend the new taxes – now temporarily suspended by a court – as necessary because of the country’s high debts. But should defence of the tax include taking the lives of the citizens, or playing the politics of repression card? Andebrhan Giorgis would consider such as “Weak governments, who in fragile states pursue the politics of repression, exclusion, and marginalization. This provokes discontentment at the centre and resistance and civil wars on the periphery.”
In Kenya, the sinfulness of man’s heart is on display with both the leaders and the citizens.
Therefore, to all Christians in the Republic of Kenya your call to be the salt and the light in the city of men has not ceased, it is in a season like this that you are to let your light shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Yes, the government should be held accountable, but don’t forget you have another citizenship that you uphold, or that upholds you. Do not fall into the trap of seeking a utopian vision of this world, no! you are waiting for a city whose maker and builder is God (see Hebrews 11:10-16). But while you live in this earthly city let us heed the marching orders that our Master gives us regarding the matter of paying taxes. In Mark 12 Jesus sets out a novel and revolutionary philosophy in these five verses from 13 to 17. We must remember these three principles
Firstly, Christians are good citizens. Though Jesus later suffered the vengeance of his enemies, he actually escaped the rhetorical noose with his answer here. Jesus regarded the pagan state as legitimate when he said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17). The answer stunned the Herodians and Pharisees, because whatever their differences, Israel and Rome both derived their legitimacy by divine appeals. Being the salt and the light necessitates that you are to be a good citizen because Christians are good citizens. (Romans 13:1-7).
Secondly, as African leaders and citizens, we must never think human governments are merely orchestrated and set in place by our autonomous sovereign states and constitutions. Rather, human government is founded in the Bible. We can see in Genesis 1:28 that God commanded Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” As seen in Romans 13 we hear the echoes that reverberate this deep-rooted theological Biblical truth as Paul developed it, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1). Yes, this means that Joe Biden in America, Xi Jinpin in China, Cyril Ramaphosa in South Africa, and their entire respective administrations are instituted by God. Even in Kenya, Dr William Ruto was appointed by God and inaugurated on September 13th, 2022. I must warn that this should not be misunderstood to teach that all governments are Christian. Rather, what we see is that Government is good because it is tasked by God to bring about order, in great contrast to the alternative of organizing our society around unfettered self-interests.
Christians, when all is said and done, do not just join any civil disobedience. Please ascertain if the government is asking you to do what is in alignment with God’s Word. If that is the case, we must obey, but if they are asking us to disobey, then we must Obey God and not man (Acts 4:18. 5:29). With regard to Kenya, every citizen is commanded by God to pay tax to the state. All Christians are bound to the eternal charter of our faith and life, the scriptures, to obey even in matters fiscal in nature. This is the elephant in the streets of Nairobi, all citizens are commanded to “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honour to whom honour is owed” (Rom. 13:7).
Lastly and most importantly, remember that as Christians we have always lived like strangers or exiles here on earth. Ultimately we are accountable to God as modelled by the heroes of faith in the letter of Hebrews 11:10,13-16. To that end, the Apostle Peter charged the believers in exile to “be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good” (1Peter 2:14). Take heart knowing that if Romans 13 calls Christians to obey government, then be assured that Revelation 13 illustrates what happens when the state rebels against God. No government commands the Christian’s unqualified support.
Therefore we must declare the good news that we have a greater debt and an infinite tax we can’t pay as a human race, yet all that has been paid in full by Jesus Christ in His life, death and resurrection, He is coming again to usher in a glorious Kingdom in which righteousness dwells.