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Kenya’s Catholic Bishops Chairman Sends Out Strong Message against Poor Governance in Eastern African Countries

Credit: ACI Africa

By Agnes Aineah

Nairobi, 06 October, 2024 / 8:38 pm (ACI Africa).

The Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has decried poor governance in various countries in the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), noting that political leaders are causing the divisions in the region for their selfish interests.

In his homily at the Saturday, October 5 Prayer days that was held at the Subukia National Marian Shrine in the Diocese of Nakuru, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba described the lack of unity among citizens in various AMECEA countries as a situation of “grave concern” among Catholic Bishops in the region.

“In the AMECEA region we are saddened when forms of governments that do not foster unity among citizens in the region are promoted,” Archbishop Muhatia said. 

Credit: ACI Africa

“This matter is of grave concern for us Bishops, and for the Church in the AMECEA,” the Archbishop of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu said, and added, “While we are here on this Mountain of God (Subukia), we realize that the disunity in our background is an embarrassment.”

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He implored, “May the Lord touch the hearts and minds of political leaders in the AMECEA region to unite people, and not to divide them because of selfish agendas.”

The Chairman of KCCB expressed the desire that countries in the AMECEA region express unity even in the political arena. 

Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba at Subukia National Marian Shrine on Saturday, 5 October 2024 Credit: ACI Africa

He said that disunity in African countries defeats the purpose why Africans fought for independence. 

Describing disunity as “a scandal”, Archbishop Muhatia posed, “How can leaders who call themselves Christians continue promoting division and disunity?”

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Priests at Subukia National Marian Shrine on Saturday, 5 October 2024. Credit: ACI Africa

“We pray that elected leaders unite our countries in the AMECEA region to express this gift of unity. We don’t want elected leaders to express division, diving citizens in countries in our region, and therefore, undermining development,” he said at the October 5 celebration, which was also held to celebrated 50 years of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the AMECEA region.

Credit: ACI Africa

Archbishop Muhatia lauded the presence of representatives from the Bishops Conferences of Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan and South Sudan, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Kenya at the celebration realized under the theme, “Journeying together in Integrity as a Family of God through Small Christian Communities.”

“This year’s national prayer day is a prayer day with a difference because it is now a regional prayer day,” the Chairman of KCCB said.

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Agnes Aineah

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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