The Catholic faithful have pledged to support President Uhuru Kenyatta\u2019s war against corruption.<\/p>\n
President Kenyatta had joined the faithful in marking the beginning of the 40-day lent period, which starts on Wednesday, at the Subukia shrine.He reiterated the church\u2019s position that fight against graft can only be won through individual and collective responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fight against graft should start with all of us at a personal level. We have to start by looking at ourselves as the first agents of change. If we all responsibly play our roles we shall be able to address the challenges facing our country,\u201d Uhuru said.<\/p>\n
This comes just a few months after the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) launched a campaign against\u00a0corruption.The president, who later addressed a rally at Subukia town, said he will remain committed towards leaving a legacy of unity through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).<\/p>\n
Peace and cohesion<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe must maintain peace and cohesion even as we seek political leadership. This is the basis for life and the whole world. When we talk of BBI we aim at bringing to an end recurring bloodshed due to politics,\u201d he said.He called on the political class to stop dividing the country along tribal lines.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we are to compete politically let us do so based on our dreams and not based on tribal lines. If we are led by development agenda we are bound to live a life of peace without fear of elections and their outcomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Catholic Justice and Peace Commission Chairperson John Oballa said this year\u2019s lent campaign is meant to sustain the war against corruption and focus on improving lives of ordinary people.\u201cOur theme for the lenten campaign is \u2018Stewardship for a Transformed\u00a0Nation \u2013 My Obligation\u2019. It should take cue and address how we can continue this fight against corruption,\u201d said Bishop Oballa.<\/p>\n He said there was a great need for the church to decisively confront the graft scourge and lead by example.\u201cStewardship will spur the country to greater heights. Our stewardship must imitate that of Christ. All we have belongs to God. We are simply managers or administrators acting on His behalf,\u201d Oballa said.<\/p>\n Among the issues the church will focus on during the period include agriculture, youth and development, natural resources and responsible exploitation, leadership and accountability, sanctity of life and dignity.\u201cAs good stewards, we should\u00a0strive to preserve the earth. This will enable us feed the nation and take care of future generations. We shall look at how we can contribute to the empowerment of the youth,\u201d Bishop Oballa said.<\/p>\n KCCB Chairperson Phillip Anyolo urged the Judiciary to cultivate a culture of truth in the justice system even as Kenyans resolve to fight graft.\u201cEven as we urge the various agencies to play their roles, we encourage Kenyans that this is a call to action. It starts with admission of individual and collective failures to bring sanctity and directions on how we shall take forward the country,\u201d said Archbishop Anyolo.He said the amount of untold deaths, suffering and desperation in the country was too high as people struggle to get basic needs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is unfortunate to see resources set aside for the common good being looted for personal gain. Such acts have broken the hopes of many youths who now feel they are supposed to do the same,\u201d said Anyolo.On the BBI and referendum debate, the bishop called for truce in the political class to ensure the country is not divided while in pursuit for unity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want a divisive referendum as seen in 2005. We need to be cautious that the unity we are seeking does not leave us even more divided,\u201d he said.Archbishop Martin Kivuva of Mombasa Archdiocese, who led the mass, called on those given government positions to be accountable and responsible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Catholic faithful have pledged to support President Uhuru Kenyatta\u2019s war against corruption. President Kenyatta had joined the faithful in marking the beginning of the 40-day lent period, which starts on Wednesday, at the Subukia shrine.He reiterated the church\u2019s position that fight against graft can only be won through individual and collective responsibility. \u201cThe fight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":3076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,8,12],"tags":[435,362,1665],"class_list":["post-3077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","category-homepage-english","category-policy","tag-corruption","tag-president-uhuru-kenyatta","tag-subukia-shrine"],"yoast_head":"\n