Catholic bishops urge dialogue to end political stalemate

Catholic Bishops in a procession at Christ the King Cathedral in Nakuru during a memorial mass for Eldoret Bishop Cornelius Korir who died last week. The bishops said Kenyans should live as a united nation irrespective of their political differences. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The bishops said they will organise for a national dialogue aimed at getting the true picture of the situation in the country.
  • They said Kenyans should live as a united nation despite their political differences.
  • The bishops called for an end to police stop brutality and at the same time urged politicians to shun selfish interests.
  • The memorial mass was attend by all the 26 Catholic Bishops led by John Cardinal Njue, the archbishop of Nairobi.

Kenyans have been urged to emulate Eldoret Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir who died last week and who always preached peace and reconciliation.

Speaking Thursday at Christ the King Cathedral in Nakuru during a memorial mass for Bishop Korir, Catholic bishops said Kenyans should live as a united nation despite their political differences.

In a statement read by Homa Bay Bishop Philip Anyolo, who is the chairman of the Kenya Conference of the Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the religious leaders urged the political class to embrace dialogue for the sake of this country.

NATIONAL DIALOGUE

The bishops said they will organise for a national dialogue aimed at getting the true picture of the situation in the country irrespective of the decision that the Supreme Court will make in the petitions which have been filed challenging the October 26 repeat presidential election.

They said the focus of the dialogue will be on national healing and reconciliation, the electoral process, unemployment, conflict, and historical injustices.

The dialogue will also involve civil society leaders and will interrogate sections of the Constitution that are still problematic.

POLICE BRUTALITY

The bishops called for an end to police stop brutality and at the same time urged politicians to shun selfish interests and think of the good of the nation.

They said they are dismayed at the prospect of the country disintegrating because of being polarised by politicians through demonstrations, boycott calls and reckless statements.

Bishop Alfred Rotich, who delivered a sermon during the memorial mass, asked Kenyans to be ambassadors of peace even as the country is divided along tribal and political lines.

He said it is the high time that Kenyans listen to the voice of reason.

"As leaders and ordinary Kenyans we need to keenly listen to the voice of God and prepare peace pathways in our lives and in all our endeavours" Bishop Rotich said.

DIRTY POLITICS

He urged Kenyans to shun the dirty politics that has penetrated especially the kind propagated through the social media platforms.

“We should use the social media platforms to spread the message of peace and love instead of using [them] as a means to divide us along tribal lines by spreading lies and insults," he said.

He decried the runaway corruption in the country and called on Kenyans to be in the frontline in fighting it in their places of work.

"If we ensure our deals and undertakings in the place of work [are] based on our good morals we shall truly be agents of peace," Bishop Rotich said.

The memorial mass was attend by all the 26 Catholic Bishops led by John Cardinal Njue, the archbishop of Nairobi.

The late Bishop Korir was ordained as a priest in Nakuru in 1982 by retired Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana'a Nzeki before he was elevated to a bishop in 1990 and posted to Eldoret.