Catholic Church in Kenya Urged to Equip Grassroots Governments with Skills to Address Corruption

Nairobi, 16 February, 2025 / 9:10 PM

Amid rising corruption cases in Kenyan counties, which have contributed to the country's high global corruption index, the Catholic Church has been called upon to support county assemblies by providing resources and training to combat the issue.

In his presentation during the February 10 to 12 workshop that brought together communicators drawn from the Dioceses and Catholic media across the country, the Executive Director of the  
County Governance Watch (CGW) said that county assemblies need to be empowered with resources and training to monitor and evaluate budget allocations to minimize corruption cases.

The Catholic Church, Kevin Osido said, should empower county assemblies with the training needed to monitor budget allocations effectively and to ensure that procurement processes adhere to transparency standards.

Kevin Osido, the Executive Director of the County Governance Watch (CGW) presenting during the February 10 to 12 workshop at the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR) at Hekima University College. Credit: ACI Africa

“The Church should help counties implement stronger policies to enforce anti-corruption laws, prioritize budgetary transparency, and adhere to public procurement guidelines,” Mr. Osido said.

He urged the Catholic Church to “encourage regular public forums and provide platforms for citizens to engage with county officials on budget allocations and development projects.”

The government official further challenged the Church to expand citizen awareness campaigns, particularly in counties with low engagement, to educate citizens on budgetary processes and their rights to access public information.

Credit: ACI Africa

The Commission for Social Communication of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), in collaboration with the Loyola Center for Media and Communications (LCMC), organized the workshop to train Catholic communicators on “governance issues” in the wake of the 2024 Gen Z-led protests.

Organized under the theme, “The Kenya we Desire”, the workshop was held at the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR) at Hekima University College, a constituent college of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA).

Credit: ACI Africa

Participants at the workshop were trained on different topics such as Artificial intelligence (AI) and its effects on families. Other topics were on the effects of corruption, complaints handling and compliance, and the Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

Credit: ACI Africa

In his February 12 presentation, Mr. Osido suggested that the Church guides county governments through investing in user-friendly websites that provide budget updates, procurement information, and clear contact channels for feedback.

Presenting at the same event, Fr. Odomaro Mubangizi weighed in on the role of the Catholic Social Teaching in contributing to better governance in a country.

Fr. Odomaro Mubangizi presenting during the Febraury 10-12 strategic workshop at the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR) at Hekima University College. Credit: ACI Africa

In his presentation on the title, “Catholic Social Teaching (CST): Principles and Norms for Kenya We Desire”, the member of the Society of Jesus (SJ/Jesuits) said that CST “offers both time-tested principles and a method for achieving the Kenya we desire.”