Build Policies to Protect Right to Healthy Lives – North Rift
March 27, 2025
Build Policies to Protect Right to Healthy Lives
Press Statement
Preamble
The representatives of the NCCK member churches in the North Rift region have held a two-day consultation on the right to healthy living here at RCEA Conference and Training Center, Eldoret. The representatives were drawn from Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot counties. They considered and were inspired by the scripture recorded in Genesis 1: 29
Then God said, “I give you seed-bearing plants on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
Recognizing that it is God’s wish for every person to have healthy lives, we share the following message with the people of our region and entire nation, as well as the county and national governments.
- Protect the Right to Healthy Lives
The Constitution of Kenya 2010 in Article 43 (1)(c) declares that every person has the right “to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality”. This is in tandem with the fifth item on the Preamble of the same Constitution which declares that the people of Kenya are “Committed to nurturing and protecting the well-being of the individual, the family, communities and the nation”.
In this regard, we call upon the national and county governments to take seriously their responsibilities of protecting the right to healthy lives of Kenyans by putting in place the necessary policy measures, of which we strongly recommend the following:
a) Declare Non-Communicable Diseases a National Emergency
Statistics from the government show that Non-Communicable Diseases, which include cancer, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, are responsible for more than 50% of all hospitalizations and result in 39% of all deaths in Kenya. The Kenya NCDs Strategy points out that 77% of total health expenditure are from domestic sources, with a patient spending more than KShs 130,000 per year to manage an NCD yet these are preventable diseases.
We appeal to the Cabinet Secretary for Health to consider declaring Non Communicable Diseases a national emergency so as to stop the rapid increase in their prevalence and impact on the wellbeing of the nation. The government has a responsibility of ensuring that adequate attention and resources are directed at addressing this threat to health.
b) Introduce Front of Pack Warning Labels
We call upon the government to speedily finalize and adopt the regulations and laws that will require all food processors to include Front of Pack Warning Labels to alert buyers if the products contain high levels of sugar, salt or saturated fats. Kenyans have a right to know what they are purchasing, as is provided for in the Constitution of Kenya Article 46 (1)(b), which states that Consumers have the right to the information necessary for them to gain full benefit from goods and services.
It is our considered position that the information manufacturers hide in the hard-to-read back of the pack labels does not communicate to the consumers and is largely irrelevant. In contrast, Front of Pack Warning Labels will ensure that Kenyans know when they are about to buy unhealthy food products.
c) Regulate Advertisement of Unhealthy Foods
The Bible strictly warns against misleading people to think something is good while it is not, as we read in Deuteronomy 27: 18
Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road.
We are especially distressed to note that on all media and public platforms, more than 75 per cent of food related advertisements are for unhealthy foods. It is more troubling that these advertisements are primarily targeted at children, thereby exposing the country to a very heavy burden of management of Non Communicable Diseases in the next one to two decades. This trend has been witnessed in many other countries with devastating results.
To end this trend, we call for urgent policy measures by the county and national governments to regulate the advertisement of unhealthy foods that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats. Of note, the regulations should curtail the placement of advertisements for unhealthy foods near schools or during the water-shed hours when children are likely to be consuming media.
In addition, the regulations should ban the use of children or children-like characters in advertisement of unhealthy foods. We all must protect the future generation.
d) Adopt the Nutrient Profile Model
To effectively enforce the proposed regulations, we call upon the Ministry of Health to stop dilly dallying and work with stakeholders to finalize and adopt the evidence-based Nutrient Profile Model. The nutrient profile model is essential to set the standards of food to allow for enforcement by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the Consumer Protection Authority. On our part, we are fully committed to using our church structures to sensitize the citizens on the nutrition profile model and all diet related regulations once they are put in place.
2. Safeguard Security and National Cohesion for Healthy Living
Across the country, there is a notable mood of sadness and suppression, with Kenyans feeling that cost of living is going higher. On their part, political leaders are focussed on early campaigns towards the 2027 General Elections, leading to a major decline in service delivery. Development of public infrastructure has stalled, and key sectors such as education and health are in crisis.
While we appreciate the security operation that restored calm in the North Rift counties, we do note that instances of inter-ethnic tensions still persist. The early campaigns by politicians are making these relations worse.
We call upon all political actors to stop the early campaigns and instead focus on service delivery.
3. Protect the Altar
Alongside all other Kenyans, we have noted with concern the growing trend where national and local leaders have shifted the arena for politics from public rallies to church worship services. We condemn this trend, and call upon all our fellow clergy to adhere to the guidelines that were issued by the Executive Committee of NCCK, which in part state that:
One, all political leaders who attend worship services are to be treated the same as all other worshippers
Two, all monetary contributions should be treated as offerings and should not be announced or be accompanied by fanfare
Three, religious leaders should avoid endorsing or opposing any political leaders or parties and to instead remain objective and non-partisan
Four, politicians should not be allowed to address the congregants inside the church, and should instead speak to people outside the church building after the service
Let us all protect the sacredness of our places of worship.
4. Conclusion
We conclude by remembering that God expects each of us to take care of our bodies, and by extension to put in place policies that enable citizens to have healthy lives. This we learn from 1 Corinthians 6: 19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.
May God help us to put in place policies and measures to promote and protect healthy living for all.
Signed on this 26th day of March, 2025, at RCEA Conference and Training Center Center, Eldoret.
Bishop Dr Emmanuel Chemengich
Chairman, NCCK North Rift Region
