In their seven-page statement read out during the 2025 Lenten Campaign Launch that was realized in the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, KCCB members have decried “ethnic mobilizations” in the East African nation, which they say is a precursor to divisions that can jeopardize efforts towards nation building.
“Ethnic mobilization has long been employed as a tool of division and manipulation. Over the decades, the exploitation of ethnic identities for political gain has led to violence and deep societal fractures,” Kenya’s Catholic Bishops have lamented in the statement that their Chairman, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of the country’s Kisumu Archdiocese, read out on Friday, February 28 at Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa.
They have called for discernment with the aid of past happenings. “Today, we stand resolute in our commitment to learn from these painful lessons. We affirm that every Kenyan, regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation, deserves to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect,” KCCB members have said.
In building a desirable country, they have urged every Kenyan to embrace a future that will unite everyone “in mutual recognition and respect, transcending the divisive tactics of the past.”
The continued abductions and enforced disappearances raise a red flag for the East African nation, KCCB have said. “We come out once again to express our profound dismay over the incidents of abductions and extra-judicial killings that threaten the sanctity of life in our nation,” they have said.
“Life is a divine gift from God. It is our sacred duty to protect every individual, ensuring that no one is subjected to violence or denied their inherent dignity,” they have added.
They have called for responsibility and “decisive” action to protect human life in Kenya. “It is the duty of all relevant authorities to take decisive, transparent action to end these inhumane practices, affirming that every human life is inviolable and worthy of protection,” Kenya’s Catholic Bishops emphasize, calling for an end to abductions in the country.
In their statement, KCCB members have also decried the “scourge of corruption” that they say hinders Kenya’s progress on many fronts. “Corruption remains one of the most insidious challenges undermining our national progress and eroding public trust in our institutions,” they have said.
Despite reform promises, there seems nothing to show that any reform has happened as the vice continues to infiltrate national and County governments, diverting vital resources from those who need them the most.
“As the Church, we categorically condemn all forms of corruption that rob our people of their God-given rights and obstruct the path to a just society,” KCCB members have said.