I long for the days that we had Rev Timothy Njoya, Bishop Henry Okullu, Rev David Gitari, Alexander Muge, Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki in the 1990s. Though I was barely in my teens, their strong voices against social injustices Kenyans faced then still echoes loudly in my ears. These men of the cloth commanded great respect and were a powerful force in guiding the society. Unfortunately, the church lost that position particularly during the 2007/8 post-election violence.
The voice of the church leadership is no longer heard in taking a position on key issues affecting society and the church has become a peripheral player at best when major national matters are being debated.
But now what kind of church leaders do we have? What lessons can they learn from the Pope?
Pope Francis’ visit to Kenya gives me a beacon of hope that not all is lost. He indeed is leading by example. The Pope poignantly pointed out the injustices and deprivations that flow from the unfair capitalist system that exists in many countries with Kenya as a prime example.
More than 60 per cent of residents of Nairobi, for instance, live on less than 5 per cent of the available land. This is unjust and unacceptable. The strong message on the ills of corruption and ethnic exclusion must be embraced if Kenya is to prosper.
Its time for the Church to wake up and take the lead in denouncing injustices as they occur!
Dr. Aggrey Willis Otieno 