Adventist Young Professionals in Kenya Fight Government Abductions in SDA Churches
06 January 2025 |
On December 21, Ronny Kiplangat was forcibly abducted from the Kikuyu Central Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church after attending a Sabbath service. His was one of countless abductions that have been occurring across Kenya for the last few months. Though this alone would be harrowing news, the alleged abductions are done by the government as “enforced disappearances.”
Ronny Kiplangat never publicly criticized the government or enacted any political unrest, but his brother, Gideon Kibet, is a cartoonist who criticized the government through his work. Gideon, also known as Kibet Bull, was abducted on Christmas Day.
That a young man like Ronny, who had no political motive, would be removed from a place of worship by government-backed force deeply horrified the Young Adventist Professionals of Kenya (AYP-Kenya), launching them into action. In an official statement, the members condemned the government’s blatant disrespect for its citizens through such unjust practices, especially in its violation of sacred spaces, citing international law, including the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981), which obligates governments to protect worshipers and their places of worship.
For the government required to uphold such a law to be the violators of it was deeply unsettling for AYP-Kenya. In their statement they said, “We, the Young Adventist Professionals of Kenya, demand a public commitment from the government to uphold the sanctity of places of worship as enshrined in both Kenyan law and international conventions.” They continued by condemning this dismissal of individuals’ rights and the principles of democracy.
As of today, Gideon Kibet has been released by the government, but his brother Ronny and the two other men abducted during this time remain missing. AYP-Kenya urges the citizens to unite against such injustice and spread awareness while imploring their government to correct their actions.
