Category Archives: Religion

KENYA: CONGRATULATIONS TO FATHER JOHN WEBOOTSA

From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

REGIONAL NEWS TEAM
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

On my own behalf (Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ) and Regional News Team, People for Peace in Africa staff, I would like to congratulate Rev Fr John Webootsa, a Consolata Missionary for having been awarded Peace Prize for having devoted his life to help improve the living conditions of slum dwellers in Nairobi’s Korogocho and Dandora settlements.

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Father Webootsa has been named the inaugural winner of the Franco-German Human Rights Award. In August 2011 he set up kitty fund that has so far disbursed micro-loans of Sh20, 000 each to more than 300 people, mostly women and youth to set up small businesses such as groceries, hair salons and kiosks.

According to Business News the community business start-up fund is funded by Concern Worldwide, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and the German Catholic Organisation and is aimed at providing alternatives to vulnerable groups not to engage in social ills such as drug abuse, criminal activities and prostitution.

The Mombasa-born priest is also involved in an environmental project dubbed Stop Dumping Death on Us which successfully lobbied the City Council of Nairobi to immediately decommission the three decade old Dandora dump site and its transfer to a non-residential area where only non-recyclable waste will be dumped.

Father Webootsa is only 37 year-old and not even Monsignor yet but has been honoured for his multiple community based projects that include setting up a communal kitty to advance micro-loans as capital to women and youth to set up small businesses, establishing a primary school and a medical dispensary to educate and provide healthcare to the community in Korogocho.

We also extend our gratitude to the French and German embassies in Kenya for their motivation meant to reward outstanding persons who are involved in programs that help empower grassroots and marginalised communities attain a better quality of life as well as promote social justice.

It is indeed gives Father Webootsa the will to soldier on as he looks forward to helping the slum dwellers even further.

According to the report the awards jury was composed of both the French and German envoys to Kenya, legislator Gitobu Imanyara, veteran journalist Hassan Kulundu of the Kenya Editors’ Guild, chairperson of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Tecla Namachanja, former chairman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights commissioner and the late Mrs Mary Onyango who was the deputy chair of the National Commission on Integration and Cohesion.

“Father John is very determined and has a strong will. He has been mugged five times but he never thought of quitting his job in Korogocho. His commitment to the people of Korogocho is selfless,” reads the citation from the jury.

Father John helped set up St. John’s Nursery and Informal School which provides education opportunities to 850 pupils who only pay Sh250 as school fees per month, but three quarters of the learners are on full scholarship as their parents cannot afford the subsidised fees.

The clergyman has also been vocal on the subject of extra judicial killings, speaking out against the dumping of murder victims at the Dandora dumpsite where he says they retrieved about 25 bodies in 2007/2008.

Ordained in June 2002 after his priesthood studies at Kenya’s Consolata Seminary, Uganda Martyrs Seminary, Namugongo, and finally in Lima, Peru; he thereafter moved to work as a priest at St John’s Church in Korogocho parish where he founded Kutoka Network, a voluntary initiative of 26 slum based parishes and interested parties who work with communities living in various informal settlements in Nairobi.

He first visited Korogocho in 1993 and was touched by the conditions there. While studying in Peru, he volunteered in Phorrilloa, a big slum in the capital Lima. His heart has always been to work to uplift people in the slums.

The non-monetary award comes with a one week fully paid up trip to France and Germany to meet stakeholders and institutions operating in the field of human rights such as the European Court for Human Rights and the German Institute for Human Rights.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

KENYA: AFRICAN CHURCHES CONFERENCE ENDS IN KISUMU CITY,

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By Agwanda Saye,

The week long African Conference Churches Convention and Conference came to an end at Salem Ministries in KIsumu over the weekend with many giving their lives to Jesus Christ and anointed men and women of God teaching very powerful Christian messages.

The Conference which saw the attendance of the United Kingdom based Connect International head Tonny Rozee who is one of the trustees of the organization teaching “Touching Heaven and Changing Earth’.

The conference was hosted by the Ministry of the President of the organization Bishop Pheobe Onyango who was one of the main speakers during the event.

“The conference saw Christian leaders and youths from nearly all the counties of the republic of Kenya attending with Reverend Bolden Ochieng Abuto from Homa Bay who is heading his Ministry called Entire Faith Ministry preaching in all the week long crusade at the sprawling Obunga Slums within the outskirts of Kisumu City”Bishop Onyango added.

She added that Tonny Rozee has been coming to Kisumu for the past fifteen years teaching church leaders mainly on the realization of the message of Kingdom of God.

“Four years back he received a prophetic message that he will release what he has to the leaders so that the leaders will make impact on their various communities and actually that was the reason for the presence of various counties attendee” she added

Obunga slum can only be compared to South Africa’s Soweto where crime, prostitution and alcohol is the order of the daily life with gang fights and school drop outs being some of the major vices within the area but the organizers of the event so it fit that despite all that it was the best hunting ground for the souls of men.

Reverend Bonson Nyang’or who is the Kenya Chapter Co-ordinator of the Global Day of Prayer / Transformation Africa which has its Headquarter in South Africa and the Nairobi County God Bless Kenya Prayer Movement outlined the objectives of African Churches Foundation.

“We have a divine plan for community transformation ,we want to consider actions that will attract God to our community ,challenge us to pray effectively for the transformation, consider what we have in our hand and begin our exodus to transformation” Rev.Nyang’or further said.

The Africa Churches Foundation is a registered trust with the objective of harnessing resources through partnership the Church, State Agencies, on State Agencies and Other willing partners for the purpose of repositioning the church to seek divine favor and the partnership of governing authorities to attract God’s wisdom and favor in realization holistic community transforming.

BEYOND SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE FOR GLOBAL AGENDA

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From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

REVIEWED BY JOSEPH ADERO NGALA
AUTHOR-MARYANN CUSIMANO LOVE
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The years 2002 has been something of a revival of interest in Africa, at least in official circles in Britain. After roughly two decades during which Africa fate-the odd famine or natural disaster aside-was largely relegated to the bottom of white halls in tray, the issue has now found itself towards the top.

As a journalist who has covered Africa for three decades l do understand the implications and my role of reporting human tragedies- without rhetoric or rancor. Beyond Sovereignty issue for Global agenda has mixed political insight with personal testimony to create a powerful book-compelling.

In Africa politicians like to talk vaguely about global village, but if foreign policy is to be ethical as well as effective, it will have to recognize that conflict resolution entails more than getting two sides around a table in Africa, there has to be an acknowledgment that although African are primarily to blame for the decrepit state of their continent, the rich world has to shoulder its share of the blame.

In the decades since decolonization, Africa has been ill-served by those who claimed to be friends- too often policy has been driven by a competition between various powerful nations over the continents vast resources. We have argued for free trade what we really meant was that to restrict their export to us.

Instead of extending the ideas of social justice that we take for granted, we have all too often, allowed our companies to deny Africans those very standards; how fair is it that a cocoa farmer in Ghana should get less than one penny from the proceeds of a bar of chocolate that sells for 90pence in Britain? Why did it take a court battle in South Africa in 2001 to pursue, the great pharmaceutical business that some people simply couldn’t afford their AIDS drugs

In the aftermath of September 11 people were fond of saying that the ’world has changed’ that life would never be the same again. What they meant, of course, was that life in the rich world, and especially in America, had changed.

In the poor world nothing much had changed at all-except that many more of their citizens seen as potential terrorists. Very quickly, Somali found itself on the list of those deemed to pose a threat to Americans security-this is the country that USA backed in the cold war and then tried to save from famine in 1992.

The point is this; the world should change after September 11, but not simply in the way people suggested at the time of the attacks. if leaders like from UK prime minister remain true to their words, then over the next forty years Africa might well look very different from the way l have had to portray it during the last fifty years.

My intention was to review a well documented book by Maryann Cusimano Love Beyond Sovereignty issues for Global Agenda is a book that one must have it well written it articulates views from different scholars and its has also paid special attention to the works of Jesuits refugees and its has many ideas.

She addressed heavy issues on the global economic meltdown, terrorist attacks, environmental problems, disease pandemics, refugee flows, drug and human trafficking, resurgent religion, cyberattacks, weapons of mass destruction-the news headlines and policy makers are consumed these pressing global concerns.

But none of these she writers is important global issues are captured by the traditional view of international relations as the activities of state. People are dying, but states cannot save them. She also maintains in the book that the strongest states in the system cannot solve these failed these problems alone; their institutions are not wired for it, and they are scrambling to come up with effective responses.

Maryann Cusimano Love maintains in the book that a third of the people on the planet live in the weakest states in the system. These failed and falling states as she puts it cannot provide roads and drinking water, basic law, order, and governance.

The citizens are the most vulnerable, yet these states are what she calls kleptrocract leaders that treat the government as ATM Machines used for personal enrichment. Half the people in the planet live without freedoms (in both “strong and ‘week “states) their governments deny them the abilities to hold their government accountable for the activities undertaken in their name.

The worst of these states are predatory, deliberately killing the very citizens they are supposed to protect. Sovereignty-the ideas that governance aligns with territory, and that those outside the geographic boundaries have no authority to meddle in internal affairs-is not neutral or theoretical or theoretical or helpful for most of the people on the planet.

For example, nearly 6 million people have died in the Congo, as many Jews as died in the holocaust, in a conflict driven by failed sovereignty, the quest to control natural resources to sell to the lucrative global market.

Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love is a tenured Associate Professor of International Relations in the Politics Department of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She is on the Core Group for the Department of State’s working group on Religion and Foreign Policy, charged with making recommendations to the Secretary of State and the Federal Advisory Commission on how the US government can better engage with civil society and religious actors in foreign policy.

She served as a Fellow at the Commission on International Religious Freedom, where she is working with the Foreign Service Institute in creating new training and education materials on religion and foreign policy. ,

She teaches graduate and undergraduate International Relations courses at Catholic University and the Pentagon, such as Security, Peace Studies, Just Peace, U.S. Foreign Policy, Terrorism, Globalization, and The Problem of Sovereignty.

Her recent International Relations books include Beyond Sovereignty: Issues for a Global Agenda (4th Edition, 2011), Morality Matters: Ethics and the War on Terrorism (forthcoming at Cornell University Press), “What Kind of Peace Do We Seek?” a book chapter on Peacebuilding, in Notre Dame University’s volume on The Ethics and Theology of Peacebuilding (Orbis 2011), “The Church and Global Governance” chapter for a Vatican book volume on Pacem in Terris, and “Women, Religion, and Peace” chapter for a U.S. Institute of Peace book Exploring the Invisible.

She serves on: the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ International Justice and Peace Committee, where she advises the bishops on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy, and engages in advocacy with the U.S. government; the Advisory Board of the Catholic Peacebuilding Network, a network of practitioners, academics, clergy, and laity from around the world in the field of Catholic Peacebuilding; the board and Communications Committee of Jesuit Refugee Services, an international refugee relief and advocacy group active in over 60 countries.

An alumna of the Johns Hopkins University (PhD), the University of Texas at Austin (MA), and St. Joseph’s University in Philadelpha (BA), Dr Cusimano Love is a frequent speaker on international affairs issues, as when she spoke on Religious Peacebuilding at the Vatican and at the United Nations.

She is a columnist for America magazine and a recipient of the 2009 Best Columnist Catholic Press Award. As a former Pew Faculty Fellow and a current consultant for Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Dr. Love regularly gives faculty development workshops on religion and world politics, and case and participatory teaching techniques.

Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love lives on the Chesapeake Bay outside of Washington, DC, with her husband Richard and three young children, Maria, Ricky, and Ava, who inspired her New York Times best-selling children’s books, You Are My I Love You, You Are My Miracle, You Are My Wish, You Are My Wonders, and Sleep, Baby, Sleep.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

FATHER OBALLA FINALLY ORDAINED BISHOP FOR NGONG DIOCESE

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From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NGONG-KENYA
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012

The long awaited ordination of Very Rev. Fr. John Oballa Owaa as the third Bishop of Ngong Catholic Church Diocese finally took place on Saturday April 14, 2012. It was attended by over 25,000 people, including about 2,000 priests and 4, 000 nuns, making it one of the biggest Episcopal ordinations in Kenya. All bishops including emeritus attended, apart from Joseph Mairura of Kisii Diocese.
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John Cardinal Njue of Nairobi Archdiocese who has also been the administrator of Ngong Diocese for about 3 years in his written sermon pleaded with Ngong Diocesan priests to collaborate well with their new bishop.

The majority of priests in Ngong are of the Kikuyu ethnic community, 1 Luo priest from Kilgoris, 2 from Moshi Diocese, Tanzania, and 3 from Kisii community, few Wakamba and about 3 from pure Maasai community. There are also missionary priests and religious men and women working in Ngong.

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Njue told Oballa to stand firm on matters of justice and peace, especially defending the rights of children, particularly molested children. He said Oballa should not be cowed in condemning impunity committed by public leaders, especially by politicians.

Area MP, Prof George Saitoti was the only politician present. Other politicians were not invited to avoid preaching seeds of division and hatred among ethnic communities in Kenya, especially through tribal associations such as Gema and Kamatusa.

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What has triggered debate among Catholic bishops is the surprise attendance of Bishop Cornelius Korir of Eldoret Diocese at the Eldoret meeting of members of the Kalenjin, Maasai, Turkana and Samburu (Kamatusa) communities to anoint Eldoret North MP William Ruto to run for president. Bishop Korir was among the bishops present during the ordination in Ngong.

Mr Ruto is accused at the ICC for crimes committed during the 2007/8 violence that claimed more than 1,300 lives and led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of others mainly from the Rift Valley of which Korir got the award for trying to unite and heal the tribes in the province.

Those who have condemned the meetings include Mombasa Catholic archbishop Boniface Lele, Mumias ACK bishop Beneah Salala and Kericho-based Segemik Parish priest Fr Ambrose Kimutai as well as Archbishop Ngede of Kisumu.

John Oballa Owaa was appointed as the third Bishop of Ngong by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on January 7, 2012. He takes over from Bishop Cornelius Schilder, M.H.M who resigned in August 2009.

The first bishop of Ngong Diocese was Fr. Colin C. Davies ordained Bishop on February 27, 1977. He remained Bishop until his retirement at the required age of 75 years in 2002. Right Rev. Fr. Cornelius Schilder was appointed the second Bishop on November 23, 2002 and ordained on January 25, 2003.

Located in the Ecclesiastical province of Nairobi in Kenya, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ngong was established as Apostolic Prefecture of Ngong from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi and Kisumu on October 20, 1959 and promoted as Diocese of Ngong on December 9, 1976.

The history of the Diocese dates back in 1913 when Catholic missionaries made exploratory expeditions into the region and made Kilgoris their permanent residence in 1955. This resulted in the establishment of The Prefecture Apostolic of Ngong on October 20, 1959. The Prefecture was entrusted to the Mill Hill Missionary Society.

Archbishop Okoth terms the naming of Oballa as the Bishop of Ngong as a blessing to Kisumu Archdiocese. This is because one of its first Missionary priests, Monsignor John. de Reeper who was the first Prefect Apostolic of Ngong appointed in January 1960 was named Bishop of Kisumu in January 1964. He is the one who ordained Fr Zacchaeus Okoth who is the current Archbishop of Kisumu.

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On July 22, 1964 Fr. Colin C. Davies was appointed to succeed Monsignor de Reeper as Prefect Apostolic until his was appointment as Bishop of Ngong on December 15, 1976. Reeper was among the first four Missionary priests appointed for Ngong Diocese.

There are 29 parishes in Ngong Diocese and one Sub-Parish of St Lwanga Nkoroi. They are classified in four Clusters, namely Ngong Development Cluster made up of 13 parishes (zones) namely; Ngong, Matasia, Noonkopirr, Matasia, Embulbul,Ewuaso O Kidong’i, Ong’ata Rongai, Nkoroi, Kiserian, Magadi, Kajiado, Namanga and Kandisi with its headquarter in Kiserian Parish which was established in 1956. The Cluster also hosts the Diocesan Secretariat at Bishop’s house. It has a population of 274,958 according to the 1999 national population census.

Narok Development Cluster is made up of Narok, Nairragie Enkare, Ololulung’a, Mulot, Lemek, Oloikirikirai, Naroosura and Entasekera parishes with its headquarter in Narok parish where a mission house and community outreach was established in 1960. Presently, population is estimated at 365,750 residents, mainly Maasai.

Kilgoris Development Cluster is located in the western end of the Diocese and comprise of Kilgoris, Abossi and Lolgorien parishes. Kilgoris is where the first missionary house and community outreach in Catholic Diocese of Ngong was established in 1955. The population according to 1999 national census is 70,591 persons, predominantly Maasai.

Loitokitok Development Cluster was founded in 1970. The church first established a house at Rombo mission in 1962. The constituent parishes includes: Sultan Hamud, Lenkisem and Mashuru.

According to the 1999 population and housing census, the area has an estimated population of 131,296 persons, predominantly Maasai. This area is the home of Amboselli Game Reserve at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro, and home to some of the largest elephant herds in the world.

These Parishes are fully run by either two priests or in other cases one. Among the oldest parishes are Kilgoris, Ngong, Rombo, Narok, Kiserian,Kajiado, Loitokitok, Nairagie Enkare, Namanga, Mulot, Lemek, Entasekera, Ongata Rongai , Magadi ,Olooikirikirai, Abosi and Lolgorian.

Discussions are underway to split some of our bigger parishes into three or four parishes. These include Oloikirikirai and Kiserian. The Diocese of Ngong has two vicars general one to assist the Bishop in matters pertaining to finances, and the other in pastoral matters.

The Diocese covers an area of 47,000 square kilometres, a population of approx. 1,011,000 people, Catholics 83,247, 29 parishes, 53 priests (39 diocesan and 14 religious), 40 religious brothers, 143 sisters and 19 seminarians.

Some of the challenges in Ngong Diocese include frequent droughts, human-wildlife conflicts, food insecurity, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and inter-ethnic conflict, especially in Kilgoris which for a long time has been known as one of the areas with conflict hot spots in Kenya.

The main causes of the disputes are over land and boundaries, cattle theft, grazing land disputes, access to water points and tribal clashes/differences between the Maasai clans over access and control of resources.

Demographically, two main communities occupy the district, the Maasai and Kipsigis. The Kuria community borders the Maasai on the South Western part and is as well settled in a number of administrative locations within Transmara district.

Persistence of conflicts in the area has always slackened growth and development of the area over the years, owing to the fact that peace is a prerequisite for successful development.

Kilgoris is one of the hottest constituencies in Kenya.It en campuses Trans Mara West and Transmara East Districts. The constituency was established for the 1997 elections and it has 22 wards, all electing councilors for the Trans Mara County Council. It has 70,294 registered voters in the 22 elective wards; namely: Kapsasian, Masurura, Mogondo, Ilkerin, Emurua Dikirr, Moyoi, Shartuka, and Emarti.

Others include Kapune, Njipship, Nkararu, Shankoe, Ololmasani, Ololchani, Kimintet, Oloerien, Angata Barrikoi, Olomismis, Poriko, Enosaen, Osinoni and Sikawa. The current MP is Mr. Gideon Sitelu Konchella who was elected on the PNU ticket after the by-elections held in 2008.

It is mainly occupied by the Maasai and the Kipsigis Community whose voter distribution is on 50-50 basis. The two communities are always in a supremacy war politically. The Maasai see the Kipsigis as Immigrant community and have always vowed never to let a Kipsigis be the area MP.

In Narok the challenge is the Mau Forest, the largest water tower in the country whose existence is under serious threat from squatters. Various attempts by several agencies in the district have been made to contain the conflict situation but only little success has been achieved.

John Oballa Owaa was born on 28 August, 1958 at Ahero, Nyando District, Kenya. He was ordained a priest of Arch-Diocese, Kenya on 28 August, 1986 on his 28th birthday.

He studied in Kenya at St. Augustine Senior Seminary, Mabanga from 1980 to 1982 and St. Thomas Aquinas National Major Seminary, Nairobi from 1982 to 1986.

After his ordination he worked at St. Theresa’s Kibuye Cathedral and Barkorwa Catholic Church. From 1998 to 2010 he was appointed Parish Priest of Ojolla upon his return to Kenya, from Rome where he studied and obtained a Licentiate and PhD in Canon Law at the Pontifical Urban University. In Rome he also worked as an official of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, from 1995 to 1997.

From 1999 to 2001 he also served as the Secretary and Director of Finance of the Archdiocese of Kisumu. In 2004 he was appointed General Vicar of the Archdiocese of Kisumu. In January 2010 he was appointed Rector of St. Thomas National Aquinas.

In January 2012 Pope Benedict XVI has appointed entrusted to him the pastoral care of the Diocese of Ngong

Bishop Owaa has up to this date had been the Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya. He was ordained a priest of Kisumu (Arch-Diocese), Kenya on the 28th August, 1986 by Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

KENYA: THE NYANZA COUNCIL OF CHURCH LEADERS FORUM.

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From: Bishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede
PRESS RELEASE.
12TH APRIL 2012.

WE the Nyanza Clergy appeal to Peace Loving Kenyans and Bishops from various Churches and different Faiths to pray for Peace and Unity for the whole Country of Kenya.

We also condemn a section of the Clergy who collude with some Politicians to preach tribal alliances as this will never take this Country anywhere but will only divide Peace Loving Citizens with an aim of hating one another.

WE are also condemning in the strongest terms possible the ill motive plan by a section of politicians in the country who are allegedly plotting to assassinate Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga.We are therefore appealing to the various organs of the Government to fully investigate the alleged conspiracy to eliminate the country’s Prime Minister, as Kenyans want to know the whole truth about the saga.

We are kindly asking the police to give the matter the uttermost attention it deserves. In the previous years, such kinds of rumors were said about JM Kariuki, Tom Mboya, Robert Ouko, Bishop Alexander Muge among others. These rumors later became realities when these mentioned prominent personalities were eventually murdered under mysterious circumstances and their cases are still unresolved to date.We further appeal to the peace loving Kenyans and the Bishops from various churches and different faiths to pray for peace and unity for the whole country.

We also condemn those people who are preaching tribal alliances as this will never take this country anywhere but will only divide peace loving citizens with an aim of hating one another. Politicians should instead embark on a mission to see that the country remain united especially at this time in which we are approaching General Elections.“We do not like seeing our country going back to the darkness of the 2007/08 post election Violence,”

Lastly, we are advising our fellow church leaders who are turning into disciples of politicians by presiding over prayer rallies to leave the politicians a lone as clergy should instead wait for the politicians in the churches.“The action of some of our brothers betrays Christian faith and let men of God not be consumed by Politics.

In Christian teaching, love your brother as you love yourself not for church ministers to pray and open the doors for abusing each other in political rallies. Finally, we are appealing to the Government to beef up security for the Prime Minister God Bless Kenya.

1. ARCHBISHOP DR. WASHINGTON OGONYO NGEDE –
CHAIRMAN NYANZA COUNCIL OF CHURCH LEADERS.

2. ARCHBISHOP JULIUS OTIENO

3. ARCHBISHOP HESBON NJERA

4. BISHOP FRANCIS MWAYI ABIERO

5. BISHOP JASPER OGELLO.

6. BISHOP JOHN ONYANGO OBER

7. BISHOP OWUOR MENA

8. REV BARACK AGALO

9. BISHOP EVANS OOKO

10. BISHOP ALEX OWUOTH

11. BISHOP JAMES OPIYO ONYANGO

CHAIRMAN – SIAYA PASTORS

KENYA: “SELF IMPOSED ARCH BISHOP” REJECTED IN KISUMU BY CHURCH MEMBERS,

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By Our Reporter

Tension is high within Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Kisumu with the members of the congregation accusing Bishop Winnie Owiti wife of the ailing church’s founder Archbishop Silas Owiti of up surging his roles which is leading to mass walkout of members of the church saying Winnie’s move is aimed at “overthrowing” Archbishop Owiti from the church leadership.

The members says that the church which has its branches within the entire East and Central Africa is likely to disintegrate if the current goings on by Bishop Winnie is not checked and stopped by the church’s trustees.

They accuse Bishop Winnie of recently conniving with her sycophants to endorse her as the predecessor of her ailing husband under the guise that he was senile and incapable of running the church actively.

“The dust has not settled when she declared herself as the head of our church and again she has brought some quarters to grant her an honorary doctorate so that it puts her at par with her husband so that her leadership becomes legitimate” one angered member of the church who never wanted her name revealed who is opposed to her leadership style lamented.

The members are also accusing their self-imposed Bishop Winnie of discarding elders of the church who had steered the church to its present state through reshuffles which has not been endorsed by the church organs and without the knowledge of Archbishop Owiti whom she says has lost his memory and has made sure that no any church adherent nor officials can access him at his Kisumu’s Milimani home where she has hired goons to keep vigil on her husband so that no one sees Archbishop Owiti and only through her advice and consent.

A cross section of church members interviewed in regard to the goings on within Voice of Salvation and Healing Church are also accusing Bishop Winnie of subjecting her husband to her current state as she has really frustrated the old man and abandoned him at a time the man of God needed her physical support most.

“She has a tendency of staying away from home for as a long as one month or more under the guise of doing missionary work which the church leadership has not sanctioned nor is aware of leading her to abandon her husband under the care of maids who cannot handle the old man better” one official of the church who never wanted his name be published lamented saying they cannot access Archbishop Owiti and they do not presently know his condition nor his whereabouts saying perhaps their Archbishop might be “dead”.

Older members of the church who were in the steering committees of the church have so far been replaced by Bishop Winnie’s “yes men” as she says that she is restructuring the church’s organization.

“We are not against the church being geared for better organization but divine intervention should be upheld and not physical orchestration whose aim is to make one the church’s leadership through unorthodox means” one elder of the church added.

Meanwhile a cross section of Nyanza Clergy has won Bishop Owiti to go slow and stop antagonizing and divided men of cloth within the region as she expand her “reign and territory ”.

“After messing Voice Of Salvation and Healing Church she is now targeting respective churches dividing members and selecting people whom she is so safe to work with, we are soon calling her to reprimand in love and tell her the teaching of the bible in regard to leadership, should she refuse then we will not count her as one of our own” one clergy based in Kisumu said.

Efforts to get comment from Bishop Winnie were fruitless as she never replied back short messages written to her not called back as she promised.

USA, GA & KENYA: WIDOWS IN SIAYA COUNTY GIVEN FREE SEEDLING BY SALEM MINISTRY AS EAST GATE CHURCH BASED IN ATLANTA GEORGIA HELPS KENYAN WIDOW.

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By Agwanda Saye

Over six hundred widows within Siaya County have received free maize seedlings for planting and free tilling of their lands ahead of this planting session courtesy of Kisumu based Christian organization called Salem Ministries.

The overjoyed widows thanked the head of the Salem Ministries Bishop Pheobe Adhiambo Onyango hfor her kind gesture in helping alleviating the poverty within the area.

“We have large tracts of land but seedlings and cost of farming has been our major impediment now that we have been given a shove in regard to the matter we ill be able to sustain ourselves and we will not be queuing for handouts from our leaders” said one widow.

Bishop Onyango said that she had been touched by the widow’s struggles while looking for food sufficiency that is why she was touched and offered to give them free seedlings as well as tilling for them their farms.

“They were incapacitated by finances to purchase seedlings as well as tiling their lands when I asked them why their lands were idle they told me that they did not have money to till as well as buy seedlings and they asked me to assist them and that’s why I offered to do it”Bishop Onyango added.

She added that she will be using her tractor as well as her driver to plough for the said widows their lands and what will remain for the is just to do the planting.

She at the same time called on the area leadership to come in and assist the widows in any way they can so that they sustain themselves.

The area government Provincial administrator Julius Owuor thanked Salem Ministries and Bishop Onyango for her kind gesture saying that the initial pilot project had yielded fruits and was on the right course

“I will get in touch with the area leadership to supplement Bishop Onyango’s efforts in regard to this project, more so the area CDF project” he added.

Meanwhile it was all joy as a group of youths from East Gate Church based in Atlanta Georgia led by their Pastor Geanne Wilde through Salem Mistries Constructed a house at their own expenses for a widow within the same county and even bought two cows for rearing purposely for milk supply.

According to Bishop Onyango, their action was touched by the pathetic condition the old widow lived in and they volunteered to construct for her a house.

“I THANKED THE ALMIGHTY God for seeing me in old age, I now have a roof over my head”,she jumped in joy

INDIVIDUAL BISHOPS ARE NOT THE CHURCH

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
BONDO-SIAYA COUNTY
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2012

When Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, and Catholic Archbishop John Cardinal Njue condemned the revival of Gema and Kamatusa groupings in their Easter messages yesterday they do not do that on behalf of their churches but just like any individual Kenyan who has different opinion on any political system.

If they spoke on behalf of their churches then Eldoret Catholic Diocese Bishop Cornelius Korir would have not attended the Kamatusa meeting organized by Eldoret North Member of Parliament, Mr William Ruto.

Korir did that in his capacity as a Kalenjin who is in solidarity with his fellow Kalenjin who is facing ICC charges and for his bid to become the president of Kenya. Just like Fr Omolo Joachim Ouko can support Raila Odinga because he is my fellow Luo.

It is also why when some bishops and Evangelical church leaders from Kibaki’s Mt Kenya region were against Majimboism because Kibaki and his PNU affiliated political party were against it (federal system), they did that not on behalf of the church they represent but because they belonged to that community.

Remember in 2009 Bishop Korir won KNCHR’s lifetime achievement award for his human rights record. That record included efforts to protect people during Presidential Electoral Violence (PEV) throughout the nineties and after the 2007 election. Check out this video on YouTube to see the script-

In 2009 when he accepted his human rights award Korir made a strong pitch for a new constitution. By 2010 he was in solidly in the NO camp because Ruto and former president Daniel arap Moi both from his Kalenjin community said NO. Other church leaders from Mt Kenya region also said NO because Raila Odinga had said yes-most of these leaders are not comfortable with Raila and therefore they are to oppose his ideas.

It explains why, despite the fact that some of these churches they represent declared they have banned the use of church pulpits by politicians to pass their agendas, still they welcome them, either on financial gains or because they belonged to the same communities.

It is also why churches in Kenya will always remain-partisan during campaigns or when their leaders are in solidarity with their political leaders, just like retired Archbishops Lawi Imathiu and Peter Njenga, co-chairs of Gema Cultural Association are in solidarity with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

It explains further why bishop Korir had to witness the endorsement of Ruto as the presidential candidate and leader of the Kamatusa group at a meeting in Eldoret a week before Easter.

Moi set up Kamatusa in the 1980s to bring together the Kalenjin, Masai, Turkana and Samburu communities as a voting block to counter the weight of Central Province. Probably that is why the church leaders from Mt Kenya region rally behind Huru whereas Korir to Ruto as opposed to two rival communities.

Kamatusa meeting resolved that the United Republican Party would be their vehicle for the March 2013 elections for Ruto’s presidential bid. Ruto hosted more than 35 MPs and over 3,000 delegates who declared they would remain united behind Ruto and URP.

Also present was journalist Joshua Sang who along with Ruto, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former civil service boss Francis Muthaura has been charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC.

The Kalenjin community wants to collect more than 2 million signatures to express their unhappiness with the way the ICC cases have been handled. The meeting was held at the Catholic Pastoral Center chaired by Chairman of Elders Council Major (Rtd) John Seii and Reverend Kosgey.

The fact that Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir was among the many church leaders who attended the forum refutes the statements by Njue and Wabukala that the Catholic and Anglican churches will remain non-partisan.

The two bishops were quoted to have said during their Easter messages that politicians who want to divide Kenyans on tribal lines should be discouraged at all costs. They warned that the revival of Kamatusa and Gema will sideline other tribes and stir hatred. They said this is the time for all Kenyans to stick together rather than be divided along tribal lines.

The statements by the two church leaders come a day after several priests from Mombasa Catholic Archdiocese warned MPs William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta and former Civil Service boss Francis Muthaura and journalist Joshua Sang who are accused of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against holding prayers in their churches.

Eighty priests led by Archbishop Boniface Lele condemned tribal groupings saying they were a recipe for clashes. “I, as the Archbishop of Mombasa, and my 80 priests will not allow the four suspects to hold prayers in our place. This will be tantamount to promoting impunity, which this country must abhor,” said Archbishop Lele.

He said the Gema meeting in Limuru together with the Kamatusa conference in Eldoret indicates that politicians have forgotten everything and learnt nothing from tragic events that marked the last General Election. So far bishop Korir has not been summoned by the Kenya Episcopal Catholic Conference for attending Kamatusa meeting.

On Sunday, Cardinal Njue told politicians that they will only attend church services as ordinary members and should not expect to be given preferential treatment. He said the re-emergence of Gema and Kamatusa is a warning that Kenya may return to violence.

“It seems some politicians have forgotten what happened in 2008 after the disputed elections. They will come like other individuals of our church. Prayer meetings are not times to push their weird agendas,” Njue said in his Easter message.

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00800, Westlands
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Kenya: KISUMU CHURCH MEMBERS UP IN ARMS AGAINST ITS BISHOP WINNIE OWITI.

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By Our Reporter

Meanwhile a cross section of Nyanza Clergy has won Bishop Owiti to go slow and stop antagonizing and divided men of cloth within the region as she expand her “reign and territory ”.

Efforts to get comment from Bishop Winnie were fruitless as she never replied back short messages written to her not called back as she promised.

Kenya: Happy Easter + Pst Birai

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From: odhiambo okecth

Friends,

It is that time of the Year when we contrite ourselves in memory of how Jesus the Holy Christ was crucified for our sins. He came to save us from our way ward ways but some of us accused Him of many ills, ills He never committed, arrested Him and had Him Crucified.

I must hence start by wishing all Holy Men, Friends of KCDN and People of Good Will a Happy Easter.

In the recent past, I have been the subject of useless debate from some journeymen. They have made all the noise they can and having realized that they were heading nowhere with their noise and slander on my person, they decided to direct their attack and slander on a Man of God; A Friend of KCDN- Pastor Absalom Birai.

Like Jesus Christ, Pst Birai has ended carrying my Cross for me, just because he dared to stand by me openly at a time I was under these virulent attacks. I am happy we had many Friends of KCDN standing by me and I did post the kind of support we received during those baseless and useless attacks on my person. One Muslim Councilor in Mombasa even called me and asked me never to respond to the attacks on my person because, in his words- huyu mutu ni kama ni wazimu.

Kenyans and Friends of KCDN, the Government Ministries, Departments and the Corporates that we are working with never faltered with their support for KCDN and for Oto in particular.

Some people raised funds in the US and elsewhere and instructed one known mad man to be their rapid dog on me. Their chosen man was so rudderless, so un-professional and so insane. He went into the KCDN Website to dig into things that all could easily access and called it investigative journalism. And his 4 Partners lauded him as the best gift that has ever happened to them since manner fell on the Israelites. I never responded to them for I do not share in their shared madness.

They were so blinded by their hate for Oto to an extent that they forgot that they were walking all naked in the streets. Their worst bit was when they decided to fight with a man of God, simply because that man of God was a Friend of KCDN. That was their lowest point.

As we celebrate Easter Season, and as I appreciate Pst Birai in his faith and commitment to the service of Christ, I want to urge all of us to re-dedicate our lives to the service of Kenyans. We are all One big Family under God. We need to love each other and we need to be there for each other.

We were One such Big Family under God until one Mohamed Warsama appeared with his satanic verses. Ashindwe. I want to urge this confused old man to leave Pst Birai out of his useless wars with me. Let hin continue attacking me. But let him leave Pst Birai out of this.

Happy Easter to all Men and Women of Good Will.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek’- President Barack Obama of the USA.

A Peaceful, Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Odhiambo T Oketch is the immediate former Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He is also Chair to the Nyamonye Catholic Church Development Fund. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010 in partnership with KACC and he is the National Co-ordinator of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Kenya.

Kenyan politicians should learn from the past lessons and learn how to approach the coming general election in a sober manner

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Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo
.
Our beloved country is surrounded by several failed states, ungovernable nation and struggling economies due to man-made mistakes. Seeing these entire phenomenon’s in our immediate neighbors should serve us as the best lessons.

Although God has been with us ever since our nation attained its political independence 49 years ago, however, there is no guarantee that the same could be with us in the next decade. But I we are strong enough to discard negative ethnicity and parochial thinking; I am sure for certain that we can weather the storm.

As at for now, our country appear to be heading to a cross-road, judging by the chest thumping utterances by leading politicians from our parties.

The worse of it all, however, is the latest development whereby some people have started mixing politics with religion.

And with the election days now ticking on very fast, this is the time when w should all including religious leader hard pray hard for the Divine intervention so that our Almighty God could find an alternative escaping route for us, which is devoid of the previous experiences of the 2007/2008.

Instead of religious leaders giving Kenyan spiritual nourishment trough prayers in the churches and mosques, they have gone solo agitating for cabinet appointment that is based on religion and not on political ability and reputation.

In this context, I have in mind some of the degrading comments and utterances made this week by a certain section of Muslim leaders following the latest cabinet reshuffle effected by the two principals of the coalition government President Mwai Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to streamline the ministries.

Cabinet reshuffle is just the very normal re tune in every government’s normal exercise. In the neighboring Tanzania such reshuffles have occurred whereby some people who had held plum ministerial slots for decades have been at time demoted and posted to serve the nation in other capacities even as low as the regional commissioners, which is an equivalent PCs in our country.

But the seemingly more patriotic Tanzanian officials, however, have always taken their new posting with pride and serves their people diligently without any complaint.

The supremacy of political parties is also paramount in that once you appointment of election to a public body was sponsored by a particular political movement, one must toe the line and strictly adhered o the policy and programmes of the sponsoring party. One working under such circumstance must always avoid flirtation with leaders from other parties which are perceived to be not reading in the same script with the doctrines of the party which had brokered such appointment o sponsored the person in question. It could be even worse in a coalition government like the one we have in Kenya.

In this context, I have in mind the sacking of the Tourism Najib Balala who is an ODM for Mvita. This legislator was elected on an ODM ticket to serve all the resident of Mvita constituency irrespective of their ethnicity, tribes, race religion, or creed.

It is arguably that Balala was one of the most effective and efficient Minister in the coalition government, but at the same time we must not lose our sight that he his appointment was brokered by the ODM a part of it cabinet share in accordance to the national accord, and a such his loyalty to the sponsoring political party is paramount and superseded any other consideration. Balala’s sacking therefore was long over due.

I therefore strongly disagree with those accusing Raila Odinga of being a dictator. The question of dictatorship id not arise nor is the question o dishonesty on the part of the Prime Minister. In my view Raila is too tolerant person a far as the essence of party politics are concern. He has accommodated many politicians with diverse opinions under the one roof of his ODM party.

We must remember the old past, especially during the reign of power of the retired President Daniel Arap Moi’s KANU regimes when some Ministers were forced to remove their cabinet flags flying in their vehicle bonnets by the police manning the road blocks after the swift sacking announcement at lunchtime via the Voice of Kenya.

It is still fresh in our minds of an incident in which cabinet Minister from Western Kenya was caught in cross fire a s he drove from Nairobi to Nakuru on his rural home on one early afternoon after he ha been fired via one o’clock radio news footage, which he apparently was unaware of. The former Minister got a shock for his life. He was stopped at a police road block near Naivasha town, while sleeping on the left side of the back seat of his vehicle; ordered not only to remove the flag on his car, but also to surrender the official government vehicle to the next nearby police station and find his own way home. What a humiliation experience?

The impending general elections will come and go like any other previous elections and as such we should not lose our sight on the important task of building Kenya as one strong and a united nation.We must tone down our emotions and avoid venomous utterances while taking into consideration that not all of us will be sitting in the State House, but only one Kenyan with God’s blessing will be the sojourner in that House on the hills.

I am not only blaming the politicians, but also strongly abhorred the quack clergymen and priest who have been offering their services cheaply to politicians by offering them prayers by roadside, public rallies in return of financial gains or political favors.

These are some of the most ungodly actions in our country. Such religious have no moral authorities to offer prayers to the politicians outside the established churches of God. I am sure for certain that God doesn’t listen to their sycophantic and commercialized prayers and those they are praying for could face the severest punishment instead of blessings.

All in all Kenyan leaders must tone down and seek for divine intervention so that peace could prevail in our beloved motherland. The true spirit of cohesion is the answer, and not by the way of government creating so many money guzzling and ineffective commissions which are only consuming taxpayers money without achieving any tangible result that is good for the Wananchi.

Instead of offering prayers for drunken youth accompanying politician in public rallies, our religious leaders should organize one national day of prayers for the soul of those thousand of Kenyans who laid down their lives as the result of politically motivated killings during the post-election violence and those our people who wallowing in abject poverty at the numerous IDP camps.

Our leaders should brainstorm together and find the solution of how to settle the IDP so that they could resume the normal life, and have their soul and spirits genuinely reconciled with their tormentors who violently evicted them fro their legally acquired farms and property. We must not be deceiving ourselves that our leaders have reconciled themselves simply for political expediency. The genuine reconciliation must take the root in the grass roots in rural locations in places lie Narok South, Molo, Elburgon, Kuresoi, Olengruone, Londiani, Burn Forest, Turbo,Uasin Ngishu,Cheranganyi,Nandi North an Nandi South, Nandi Hills,Naivasha,Trans-Nzoia, Tans-Mara,Nakuru, Sotik-Borabu borders.

These are the place where clergymen should be accompanying politicians while preaching the gospel of serious and genuine reconciliation involving the population. Such prayers meeting are so necessary and most essential as we are approaching the next general elections. Such reconciliatory prayers must involved the elders of the communities and the down trodden citizens of this country, some who are so bitter for having lost the possession of anything they had before 2007/2008 orgies. Instead of half-hearted votes hunting reconciliation meetings like those we have witnessed in the recent past

Let us build a better Kenya for the future generation and stop placing our country in the election mood all the times. This is naive and primitive please give Kenyans a break so that they could cultivate and pant their farms now that the long rains is around.

There is nothing wrong with us holding the next general election in March 2013 as per High Court judgment, but there is still room for the two principal to agree and have this date changed to December this year owing to other logistics and technical problems such as schooling period for our children etc.

Ends

KENYA: ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO’S 32ND ASSASINATION ANNIVERSARY

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2012

In India a special liturgy and a Way of the Cross was offered yesterday in commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the martyrdom of Msgr. Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador. He was assassinated by US-supported rightists on March 24, 1980 while celebrating mass.

Msgr. Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of New Delhi celebrated the liturgy. He pointed out that the prophetic ministry of truth and justice of Archbishop Romero is crucial for the Indian Church.” Today is also the 19th World Day of Prayer and Fasting for Missionary Martyrs. It is also World TB Day.

Archbishop Oscar Romero was a man of great faith-the man who loved justice. He was quoted telling the reporters of El Salvador, “Even if every prophet fighting against injustice is killed,” Romero prophesied, “New prophets will arise; for you are God’s microphone! “A bishop might die, but God’s people will never die.”

Romero died because of his outspoken condemnation of militarism and injustice. He had emerged as the highest-profile defender of impoverished campesinos and idealistic members of the Catholic clergy who were demanding an end to centuries of inequality and repression in El Salvador.

Romero became a Christ-like figure, who followed Jesus’ example of unflinching anticipation of martyrdom. Romero also adopted the methods of Jesus, a strategy of active nonviolent resistance. He repeatedly called on the security forces to stop the repression.

Romero is not alone in the fight for justice. In January 2012 the Fides news agency published a list of pastoral workers who were killed during their missionary work, even though not all of them were martyrs in the strict sense.

In 2011, 26 pastoral care workers were killed: one more than the previous year: 18 priests, four religious sisters and four laypeople. For the third consecutive year, the place with the most deaths was the American continent, with the deaths of 13 priests and two laypersons.

Following was Africa, where six pastoral workers were killed: two priests, three religious sisters, and one layperson. In Asia two priests, one religious sister, and one layperson were killed. The least affected continent was Europe, where one priest was killed.

Many of them were killed in the course of attempted robbery or kidnapping. Others, the Fides report said, “were killed in the name of Christ by those opposing love with hatred, hope with despair, dialogue with violent opposition.”

The Fides report cited the words spoken on Dec. 26 by Benedict XVI, during his Angelus message on the day of the liturgical feast of the martyr Stephen: “As in ancient times, today the sincere adherence to the Gospel may require the sacrifice of life and many Christians in various parts of the world are occasionally exposed to persecution and martyrdom. But, the Lord reminds us, ‘he who endures to the end shall be saved’ (Matthew 10:22).”

In America, the most violent country was Colombia with seven deaths out of the overall total of 15. Mexico was in second place with five. Brazil, Paraguay and Nicaragua each accounted for one death. Those killed were the following:

Colombia: Fr. Rafael Reátiga Rojas and Fr. Richard Armando Piffano Laguado killed by gunshot by a murderer who was traveling with the two priests: Fr. Luis Carlos Orozco Cardona killed by a young man who shot him among the crowd; Fr. Gustavo Garcia Eudista was murdered in the street by a man who wanted to steal his mobile phone. Fr. Jose Reinel Restrepo Idárraga, killed by unknown persons while he was riding his motorcycle, which was then stolen along with other objects belonging to the priest; Fr. Gualberto Oviedo Arrieta, found covered with wounds and knifed to death in the rectory of his parish.

A layperson, Luis Eduardo Garcia, a member of the social pastoral ministry, attacked by a group of guerrillas, kidnapped and then killed.

Mexico: Fr. Santos Sánchez Hernández, attacked by an intruder who entered his house, most likely to steal; Fr. Francisco Sánchez Duran, found in the church with wounds to the neck, perhaps in an attempt to stop a robbery in church; Fr. Salvador Ruiz Enciso, who was kidnapped and killed; Fr. Marco Antonio Duran Romero, killed in a gunfight between soldiers and an armed group. A laywoman, Mary Elizabeth Macías Castro, of the Scalabrinian Lay Movement, kidnapped by a group of drug dealers and brutally killed.

Brazil: Fr. Romeu Drago was killed in his home. His body was then brought to about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from his home, where he was burned. Paraguay: Monsignor Julio César Álvarez was killed. His body was found in his room, hand and foot bound, with injuries and scratches and strangled.

Nicaragua; Fr. Marlon Ernesto Pupiro García was kidnapped and killed. In Africa the killings took place in Burundi (2) and one each in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan, Tunisia, and Kenya. Tunisia: Fr. Marek Rybinsk was killed, a Salesian missionary, whose body was found dead in a local Salesian school of Manouba.

Kenya: Fr. Awuor Kisero was attacked in a suburb of the Kenyan capital.

Congo: Sister Jeanne Yegmane was killed in an ambush. South Sudan: Sister Angelina, while bringing medical aid to refugees. Burundi: during a robbery attempt Sister Lukrecija Mamica, of the “Sisters of Charity” and Francesco Bazzani, a volunteer. In Asia there were four deaths, three in India and one in the Philippines.

India: Fr. G. Amalan was killed in his room by a person who escaped with a few rupees found in the home; Sister Valsha John, who worked among the poor and tribal people, killed in her home, a catechist and lay activist Rabindra Parichha, kidnapped and killed.

Philippines: Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME missionary was killed, while on his way to a priests’ meeting, two gunmen shot him in the head and back. The sole death in Europe was in Spain, Fr. Ricardo Muñoz Juarez was killed by thieves who broke into his According to information in Fides possession, during the decade 1980-1989- 115 missionaries were violently killed. The summary of the years 1990-2000 presents a total of 604 missionaries killed, according to their information. The number is significantly higher than the previous decade.

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P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
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Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

POPE BENEDICT APPOINTS NEW BISHOP FOR ROCKFORD DIOCESE

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI has named Monsignor David John Malloy of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to be the ninth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford after he accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas G. Doran who turned 75 years old.

Monsignor David John Malloy is inheriting the diocese which became embroiled in a sex abuse scandal. He is also coming from the diocese where about 550 people are currently asking for restitution for alleged sexual abuse by clergy.

The Milwaukee Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection last year, saying pending sex-abuse lawsuits could leave it with debts it couldn’t afford. The archdiocese has paid more than $30 million in settlements and other court costs related to allegations of clergy abuse and more than a dozen suits against it have been halted because of the bankruptcy proceedings.

One priest alone is accused of abusing some 200 boys at a suburban school for deaf students from 1950 to 1974. James Stang, a bankruptcy lawyer who represents creditors in the Wisconsin case, estimated that about 550 claims had been filed this year.

Those who filed claims will end up splitting a settlement amount that will be determined by the creditors’ committee, archdiocese and its insurance company. The archdiocese had only $4.6 million in assets to be applied to claims in 2010.

Monsignor David John Malloy will be responsible to answer what happened to Fr Harlan Clapsaddle who Doran had in 1996 removed from most of his pastoral duties when a family reported sexual abuse after two decades of silence. In the aftermath of the scandal, Doran served on a national committee that responded with new training and guidelines meant to better protect children.

Doran has retired leaving behind unfinished business since another priest, Mark Campobello, who pleaded guilty in 2004 to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of two females under the age of 16.

About two months after his initial release in 2008, Campobello was briefly returned to custody after being found guilty of violating conditions of parole by deviating from a predetermined route between his home and job. A year later, he returned to prison again after losing the permanent residence required of parolees.

The Catholic Diocese of Rockford settled the case for $2.2 million in 2007 before it could go to trial. According to the daily, Bishop Thomas Doran stated he was not aware of any abuse until Campobello’s arrest in December 2002, despite statements from prosecutors that diocese officials had been conducting interviews regarding the case since the previous October—before police had been notified.

Campobello’s abuse of two teen-age girls is believed to have occurred between 1999 and 2001. The civil case filed by the victims against Campobello, the diocese and Bishop Doran sought, in large part, to determine whether diocese officials had been aware of Campobello’s conduct prior to his arrest.

According to case documents, at least two school teachers had been aware of the abuse in the 1990s, but did not report it to police until years later.

As required by church law, Bishop Doran submitted his resignation to the Holy Father when he turned 75 Feb. 20, 2011. Bishop Doran will remain as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Rockford until the date of Bishop-elect Malloy’s episcopal ordination and installation, which will be determined shortly. Upon that date, according to Canon Law, Bishop Doran will retain the title of “Bishop-emeritus” of the Diocese of Rockford.

Lucky Doran that he retired at the age required. There are some bishops who have been prematurely forced to retire for similar scandals. In recent events Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of a senior Irish bishop, Bishop of Cloyne in southern Ireland John Magee after he had been accused of mishandling complaints against Irish priests.

The bishop resigned March last year at the age of 73 after a church report found his handling of abuse allegations had put children at risk of harm. Magee apologized for his actions.

New sexual abuse allegations have also surfaced against a priest in Pope Benedict’s former diocese in Germany. The allegations against suspended Peter Hullermann date back to 1998. More than one-hundred reports of child abuse at Catholic institutions have emerged in recent months.

Bishop-elect Malloy was born Feb. 3, 1956 in Milwaukee, Wis., the son of David (deceased) and Mary Malloy. He has one sister Mary Ellen and four brothers; Daniel, Father Francis, Robert and Richard.

He attended Christ King Grade School in Wauwatosa, Wis., and graduated from Wauwatosa East School in 1974. He graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He studied one year at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee and five years at the Gregorian University in Rome where he received advanced degrees in theology.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1983 by Archbishop Rembert Weakland. He served two years as associate pastor of St. John Nepomuk Parish in Racine. In preparation for the Vatican Diplomatic Service he attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy from 1986 to 1990 where he received a degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, (Angelicum) and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University.

After his studies, he served as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature (Vatican Embassies) in Pakistan (1990-1994) and the Apostolic Nunciature in Syria (1995). From 1995 to 1998 he was secretary to the Permanent Observer Mission to the Holy See. Bishop-elect Malloy left the Diplomatic Service in 1998 and served for two and a half years in the Vatican’s prefecture of the Papal Household helping with the Great Jubilee Year of 2000.

In 2001 he was appointed Associate General Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and in 2006 began a five year term as General Secretary. After his term at the USCCB ended, Bishop-elect Malloy was assigned to be pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Geneva where he has served since Aug. 1, 2011. He speaks Italian, Spanish and some French.

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Nairobi
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CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING THE SECOND AFRICAN SYNOD IN KENYA

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From: Ouko joachim
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012

The scourge of corruption and nepotism, lack of democratic principles and accountability in Kenya makes it almost impossible to implement the second African Synod on reconciliation and healing.

This is particularly as the Kenya Episcopal Conference- Catholic Justice and Peace Commission rightly put it in their 2012 Lenten Campaign, many communities suffering cycle of violence throughout their history do so based on negative perception that are devoid of their common values tapped from their valuable resources.

Majority of community or “ethnic” conflicts are often instigated by key people like the political elite, community elders who unfortunately, never suffer the brunt of conflicts brought about by their selfishness for power.

This negative perception and instigation by political elite has also interfered with the implementation of the National Cohesion set up after President assented to the National Cohesion and Integration Bill, 2008. The objective was to promote and facilitate equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful co-existence between persons of different ethnic, religious and racial communities in Kenya and to advice the Government on all these aspects.

Kenya has never had opportunity as a country to have candid dialogue on ethnicity and race, even though ordinary Kenyans are willing to dialogue and co-exist as Maryknoll Priest, Fr Joseph Healey highlights in one of his stories with the locale in Kenya.

Two examples: “I Am a Christian First” is Story No. 173 in his database: After the post December, 2007 election crisis and the resulting tribalism-related violence in Kenya in early 2008, a Catholic woman in a St. Paul Chaplaincy Center Prayer Group in Nairobi said: “I am a Christian first, a Kenyan second and a Kikuyu third.”

“Pray for Me to Forgive President Mwai Kibaki” is Story No. 327 in the database: During a meeting of the St. Jude South Small Christian Community (SCC) near the main highway going to Uganda in Yala Parish in Kisumu Archdiocese, Kenya in March, 2008 the members reflected on the Gospel passage from John 20:23: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Speaking from the heart one Luo man emotionally asked the SCC members to pray for him. He said: “Pray for me to forgive President Mwai Kibaki.” During the post election crisis period in Kenya he said that every time he saw the Kikuyu president on TV he got upset and angry and so he needed healing. The other SCCs members were deeply touched and prayed feelingly for him. He said that he felt peaceful again.

Fr Healey refers to this grassroots level in Small Christian Communities as “living ecclesial communities.” The Church as the Family of God Model as a new ecclesial option that focuses on building families and building SCCs that are involved in reconciliation, justice and peace in the Catholic Church and in the wider society.

Fr Healey argues that while revisiting the Small Christian Communities Pastoral Option as a means of responding to the ministry of reconciliation through justice and peace, the Theology of the Church-Family of God must be further explored in view of enhancing reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Africa.

In Kenya the Synod comes at the time slide into 2008 ethnic violence, which so far has generated 300,000 refugees and left more than 1, 500 dead has never been reconciled and healed. The principle here is that those who preach justice and peace must first be seen to be just and peaceful themselves.

There are number of issues to be considered first before we talk of true reconciliation and healing in Kenya. Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir of Eldoret Diocese says the needs of all communities should be addressed first. Children should be taught about peace and co-existence in their formative years, he adds.

While the bishop maintains that tribal politics was to blame for recurrent election-related violence in Kenya, he also identifies poverty as an underlying cause of conflicts, noting that some idle and unemployed youths are normally misused by politicians to engage in violence.

According to Hassan Omar Hassan of the Kenya Human Rights commission, unless we do away with nepotism and tribalism cannibalises in Kenya reconciliation and healing cannot be possible. Kenya he says is to deal first with the report released by the NCIC detailing the imbalance in public service appointments.

The report indicated that 22 per cent of public servants and over 50 per cent of the State House staff hail from Kibaki’s Kikuyu community. This in both practice and perception he believes illustrates negative ethnicity.

The reality or perception of tribalism manifest in the inequities in public appointments and national resources during Kibaki’s first term Omar says led us to the path of a near national collapse following the disputed 2007 presidential election results.

The recently appointed Chief of Defence Forces, General Julius Karangi, the Commandant of the Administration Police, Kinuthia Mbugua, the Director General of the National Security Intelligence Service Michael Gichangi, the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department Ndegwa Muhoro are all from Kibaki ethnic community. The Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere is a Meru.

This is contrary to the Article 241 (4) of the Constitution which expressly states the composition of the command of the Defence Forces shall reflect the regional and ethnic diversity of the people of Kenya.

It is against the background that the NCIC cannot expect a process of cohesion and reconciliation through hugging and cuddling. It must have the foundations of justice, equity and fairness.

Similar report released recently indicates that ethnic credentials seen to count in the hiring of new college and campus bosses. Colleges and campuses that have appointed local people to head them include Chuka, Kimathi, Kisii, Pwani, Narok, Kabianga, Kitui, Bondo and Taita.

According to the report, one administrator had his appointment withdrawn after local MPs reportedly rejected him on the grounds he was an “outsider” since he came from a neighbouring community.

The report indicates further that the big five ethnic groups in Kenya – Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Luo and Kamba – dominate the workforce of the centers of higher education.

Unless all these vices are resolved, it is only then what the G7 leaders led by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Sabaoti MP Eugene Wamalwa vowed to unite in the fight against negative ethnicity in the country can be practical.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

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WHY CHURCHES IN KENYA ARE SPIRITUALLY AND MORALLY LOSING DIRECTION

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2012

When evangelical churches say they have the rights to pray for the International Criminal Court (ICC) suspects, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, the main issue is not in fact a prayer but use prayer meetings to demonstrate to Kenyans that the bad man to fight is Prime Minister Raila Odinga because he is seen as someone trying to spoil for Uhuru Kenyatta.

The fact that Evangelical church leaders are predominantly from Mt Kenya region explains why the fight. Only if we are not careful and look at Kenya beyond tribal and regional then it might turn to be like Rwanda where some church leaders incited people on tribal line.

A catholic priest, Rev Fr Athnase Seromba for example, was not only accused of incitement but also of ordering the slaughter of over 2000 people who had sought refuge in Nyange church, Diocese of Nyundo during the Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

Father Seromba appeared before the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania, in September 2004 charged with complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and crimes against humanity related to the100-day slaughter (from April to July 1994) orchestrated by the extremist Hutu government then in power and carried out by the Interahamwe militia supported by a section of the armed forces. Abour 800,000 people were inhumanly slaughtered.

Other priests accused along with Seromba included Father Hormisdas Nsengimana, the former Rector of Nyanza Christ Roi College, and Father Emmanuel Rukundo. So far two priests had been sentenced to death: Jean Francois Kayiranga and Edouard Nkurikiye.

Catholic Bishop Augustine Misago of Gikongoro Diocese was accused of actively collaborating with Hutu “Interahamwe” militias in the massacre. The bishop was further accused of attending high-level political meetings that organized the 1994 genocide. More than 20 nuns and priests were among top church officials accused along with him. Most of the victims including 30 school children were hacked to death in Catholic churches, where they had sought refuge.

Sister Gertrude, mother superior of the Benedictine convent at Sovu, in Butare Diocese, was accused of ejecting refugees from the building, knowing very well they were being sent to their deaths. She was being tried under her full civil name of Consolata Mukangango.

Sister Maria Kizito was tried as Julienne Mukabutera and was charged with causing deaths by supplying petrol to a mob that burnt the garage at the convent’s health clinic in which some 600 Tutsis were sheltering. These two nuns were found guilty and jailed.

Like Rwanda where genocide survivors, IDPs and human rights groups had bitterly criticized the church for its contribution into the killings and a lack of remorse afterward, in Kenya the evangelical church leaders have been accused of neglecting IDPs and post election violence victims. They have also been accused of allowing their churches to be used by the very politicians prayed for to talk ill against other ethnic communities.

Former Baringo Central MP Gideon Moi is among politicians who have not only called for speedy resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) but also dismissed prayer meetings held by a section of leaders under the G7

Alliance as useless unless they press for compensation and resettlement of IDPs.

Gideon says it was worrying that thousands of children and their parents were languishing in deplorable conditions in camps, almost five years after they lost property in the post-election chaos. The best thing he says we can do is to ensure the IDPs are returned to their homes and compensated for the property they lost.

Ruto and Uhuru have been using such prayer meetings to accuse Prime Minister Raila Odinga for being behind their trials at The Hague, accusations which are likely to incite Kenyans ahead of the general election.

Speaking after attending a church service at the St Mathews ACK Church in Eldoret recently, Ruto said Raila became the PM not because he had won the December 27, 2007 elections but because of the poll violence and thus “the PM should not be the one pointing accusing fingers at others”.

He said Raila “should have been the first to be put in jail long ago” because of the poll violence, adding that the PM had been involved in “a consistent pattern of schemes to fix his political rivals”. “It’s unfortunate that he thinks he will gain anything by scheming against others”.
Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo links Raila to an alleged British plot to have President Kibaki indicted at the ICC. This is very serious allegation indeed and can easily result into serious violence worse than we saw in 2008 post election violence.

This allegation fixes Raila, his Luo ethnic communities and his followers as the target of the “so-called UK government document”. For Kikuyu and Ruto followers this would send a signal that is a bad man because he is trying to ensure that Kibaki goes to The Hague after his term ends.

Even though the British High Commission and the NSIS have dismissed the documents as forgeries, while it is a good step for the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign relations to take over investigation to determine whether the dossier is forged, the fact that majority of those sitting on this committee are affiliated to G7 complicates the matter.

Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo, the composition of the committee appears to have doctored the dossier is also a member of this committee. Other members, majority of whom have been accused of forging the dossier include Hon. Benedict Fondo Gunda, Hon. Wilson Mwotivu Litole, Hon. Edick O. Anyanga, Hon. Ali Hassan Joho, Hon. Joshua Kutuny, Hon. Adan Keynan, Hon. Kiema Kilonzo, Hon. Jeremiah Kioni, Hon. Eugene Wamalwa, and Hon. George Nyamwaye.

Experience has shown that such committees with no political good will have wrong motives, whose results are violence oriented. Take Ndungu Commission of land inquiry for example, the fact that institutions which could have been used to resolve land disputes have not been impartial has encouraged individuals to take matters into their own hands and to use violence to resolve them.

Politicians use youths in such violence because the majority of them are unemployed. Some of them have grown up on the streets and are inured to violence, so nothing they loose. This is because the combination of being rootless, having survived amidst violence, plus their need for an identity and a livelihood makes them ready recruits for violent gangs.

It is against the background that in the past many politicians have used these violent gangs to decimate their opponents, to protect themselves from a dictatorial state. This is why this has itself given gangs such as Mungiki, the Taliban, Chinkororo and others a life and the ability to operate without fear of being caught because they are well protected.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA) ?P O Box 14877?Nairobi?00800, Westlands?Kenya
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623- 578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org
WHY CHURCHES IN KENYA ARE SPIRITUALLY AND MORALLY LOSING DIRECTION

FATHER OMOLO AT 56

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From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
MIRUKA-NYAMIRA COUNTY
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

On March 10, 2012 I celebrated 56 years when I was born Omolo. Hundreds of best wishers sent messages. The one from Safaricom reads: “Jambo Joachim Happy Birthday from Safaricom. We wish you joy and good health on this day and the days to come. Thank you for your choosing the better option”. Equity Bank was not left out either.
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One wish that challenged me most is this card: “You now feel special because today is your birthday? That is a complete nonsense. You are special always”. That it is not a birthday that makes someone special but who that person is makes it special always.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses often reject birthdays as “pagan” and will therefore refuse to participate in them-This because like the card reads a person is special always. Witnesses often argue that there is no mention of birthdays being celebrated by any of God’s servants in the Bible. That is also why they do not celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ.

There is nothing explicit in the Bible that commands us to celebrate or not to celebrate birthdays. Rather, the Bible has given us a general guide on this issue when it says that we should each be convinced in our own minds (Rom. 14:5) as to the importance or non-importance of a particular day, and that it should be a matter for the conscience of the individual, between them and God, as to whether we celebrate that day or not.

There are also some birthday jokes and I have been challenged by this one: “Forget about the past, you can’t change it. Forget about the future, you can’t predict it. Forget about the present, I didn’t get you one”.

Companies on the other hand will continue sending you birthday wishes even if you have died because your name has been computerized just like what the story of Gregor on Sunday March 4. As she awoke on what would have been her late son Gregor’s fifth birthday. Linda Sterry from Braco was greeted by a distressing email from the Early Learning Centre.

The message from the company’s Big Birthday Club wished the youngster ”enormous birthday wishes” and offered a special discount — despite numerous requests that his name be removed from the database.

Gregor died from a virus on March 15 2009 — shattering the lives of his parents, Linda and Mark, and big brother Ben. The toddler had recently celebrated his second birthday and had been playing with friends only the day before he passed away.

Shockingly, it is not the first time the family have received correspondence from the firm — since 2009 Linda says she has been sent a number of similar emails and even a personalised storybook.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA) ?P O Box 14877?Nairobi?00800, Westlands?Kenya
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
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Minnesota Kenya Prayer Event

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from DAVID ADAWO

Karibuni nyote.

“I shall pass through this life but once, If there is any good I can do let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again….”
adamark

Kenya Prayer Event 2012 New Flier-2[1]

Prayer Points

• Kenya’s Elections and Transition

• Family,Marriages, and the Youth

• Cultural Integration

• Immigration Issues

• Pastors and Leaders’ unity

• Community’s Health Issues

Saturday, April 7, 2012
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Park Center Senior High School,
7300 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park

For more information visit our website at: http://www.pray4kenya.myevent.com / For information on event planning, please contact the Coordinator at Phone: 952-454-2878 or on Email at: pray4kenya@gmail.com

POPE BENEDICT DEDICATES MONTH OF MARCH TO PRAY FOR WOMEN

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From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012

Pope Benedict’s general intention for March is that the whole world may recognize the contribution of women to the development of society. March is a time to remember and appreciate the important historical contributions of women, as well as recognize their continued influence in our society today.

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The contribution of women nuns to the development of society cannot also be ignored. They have contributes a lot on health, education among various development sectors. Even though women are not ordained to priesthood, during Pope John Paul’s pontificate, women took over pastoral and administrative duties in priestless parishes, they were appointed chancellors of dioceses around the world, and they began swelling the ranks of “experts” at Vatican synods and symposiums.

In 2004, for the first time, the pope appointed two women theologians to the prestigious International Theological Commission and named a Harvard University law professor, Mary Ann Glendon, to be president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

In his 1994 apostolic letter on ordination, Pope John Paul said the church’s ban on women priests is definitive and not open to debate among Catholics.

The all-male priesthood, he wrote, does not represent discrimination against women, but fidelity to Christ’s actions and his plan for the church.

The pope’s document reaffirmed the basis for ordaining only men: Christ chose only men to be his Apostles, it has been the constant practice of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and the magisterium’s teaching on the matter has been consistent.

While insisting women cannot be ordained priests, Pope Benedict XVI says it is right to discuss how women can be more involved in church decision-making. This is because women not only have exercised a charismatic function in the church, being prompted by the Holy Spirit to found religious orders, expand charitable projects and develop new forms of piety.

Nuns like any other women have had “a real and profound participation in the governance of the church. The contribution of women, “always has been a determining factor without which the church could not live.”

For decades women have been excluded from decision making and development is society, even in the Church. This is because women have been considered weaker gender. Even philosopher Aristotle thought that women were not important in the society that is why he declared that they were equal to infertile male.

According to Aristotle, woman’s role is to be compassionate, more easily moved to tears, while at the same time being more jealous, more querulous, and more apt to scold and to strike. She is more prone to despondency and less hopeful than the man, more void of shame or self-respect, more false of speech, more deceptive, and of more retentive.

Women have been considered people whose role is to belong in the home. They are physically inferior to men. That is why Aristotle claimed that their proper place is in the home, controlled by their husbands, because this corresponds to Greek constitutional law and as such he thought that women should not be educated with or like men, but should receive training in gymnastics and domestic arts to enable them to manage households, to bear and raise children, and to please and be obedient to their husbands.

He wrote that a virtuous wife is best honored when she sees that her husband is faithful to her, and has no preference for another woman; but before all others loves and trusts her and holds her as his own. And so much the more will the woman seek to be what he accounts her.

Emanuel Kant on the other hand thinks women should not have “civil personality”. Women he thinks have a “purely inherent existence” as servants who should always obey her husband.

Like Kant, Plato also thinks that women are physically inferior, bear instead of beget children, and are generally weaker than men. Their role was to be a significant part of society, different from men, but still play a part.

The only thing he differed with Kant is that Plato believed that women were necessary for society to run smoothly. This of course did not mean that women were equals of men. Men are the head of families and as such he is the one to dictate the rules that governed the house.

Women he thought are naturally maternal and these maternal skills made them better care takers for children, this womanly instinct is one of the many skills women possess that men just don’t possess enough of.

Even though Plato was of the idea that women need to have jobs but cant always have the same jobs as men because they don’t have the same abilities as men.

David Hume also thought that women were weaker gender and pious sex. In other words, their being in the society was to satisfy men sexually as if they did not need sex except men.

Commentary

By Joy Babu
Via-email

I have read your peace on the untold story of Michuki. My only comment is that some of the claims or allegations (especially the last two paragraphs) cannot be substantiated and are in fact generating unnecessary tribal animosities. I am afraid this is dangerous, coming from a peace organization. Please restrain from anything akin to propaganda and propagate message of peace.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

KENYA: UNTOLD STORY OF MICHUKI SHOOT TO KILL ORDER

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From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012

John Njoroge Michuki is dead, but no one has ever asked why he was removed by President Mwai Kibaki from Internal Security to Minister for Roads and Public Works shortly he had issued a ‘Shoot-to- Kill Order’ against the out-lawed Mungiki sect in 2008. He directed the police while he served as the Minister for Internal Security.

Inset- from left to right- late Michuki-Mungiki leader Maina Njenga- School children caught in the centre of 2008 post election violence/ File

Although it could be argued that he was moved to another ministry after Human Rights groups condemned the order citing that it contravened both the Police Act and general Human Rights guaranteed by the constitution, report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, or arbitrary executions by Mr. Philip Alston can tell a lot.

Faces of sorrow and sympathy as these people including the child on your right look at the dead during the post election violence/ File

The Special Rapporteur visited Kenya from 16-25 February 2009 in order: to ascertain the types and causes of unlawful killings; to investigate whether those responsible for such killings are held to account; and to propose constructive measures to reduce the incidence of killings and impunity.

Although the main focus was on killings by the police, violence in the Mt Elgon District, and killings in the post-election period, there were many such criminal groups, but the Mungiki became particularly prominent. It suggests that Mungiki were used to play a special role in post election violence.

It would mean that the Michuki shoot to kill order was going to interfere with that special role. That is why, even though in many slums in and around Nairobi, there have historically been high levels of insecurity caused by Mungiki they were not comprehended.

Police using excessive force on innocent people during the post election violence/ File

Probably because in the early 1990s when the Mungiki, initially a cultural-religious movement, began providing security and basic services in slums, today, the Mungiki are responsible for a large number of crimes, including murder.

According to the report, even though the Government has a clear obligation to protect citizens from Mungiki and other criminal violence, during Philip’s mission, he received compelling evidence that death squads – including one called Kwekwe – exist within the police force in Kenya, and that these squads were set-up to eliminate the Mungiki and other high-profile suspected criminals, upon the orders of senior police officials.

Detailed evidence was provided by civil society investigations, 13 witnesses to the squad’s activities, survivors of attempted killings, family members of deceased or disappeared victims, and victim autopsy reports indicating shots at close range and back entry wounds.

A further key component of this evidence is the now public testimony of a police whistleblower, who recorded his statement in July 2008, before he was murdered while in hiding in October 2008.

His account according to the report provides, in precise and often excruciating, detail the composition and operations of the death squad in which he was a part, and the circumstances of the murder of 67 persons between February 2007 and July 2008.

Together, this evidence implicates the Commissioner of Police, and senior police officials from the Criminal Investigation Division, Special homes of suspected Mungiki members. Two matatu drivers were subsequently murdered.

The police carrying out the operations (those driving the vehicles and committing the murders) are generally ordered by senior police to pick up a specified individual at a particular location (often his home, workplace, or a road on which he is believed to be traveling).

Interviews were conducted with Government officials, representatives of civil society, and victims and witnesses, in five of the eight administrative provinces or areas in Kenya, as well as with officials of United Nations agencies and members of the diplomatic community. Over 100 lengthy witness interviews were conducted.

The Special Rapporteur concluded that police in Kenya frequently execute individuals and that a climate of impunity prevails. Most troubling is the existence of police death squads operating on the orders of senior police officials and charged with eliminating suspected leaders and members of criminal organizations.

Since then mysterious killings took place. On March 9, 2009 lawyer Oscar King’ara, the founder and director of an NGO known as Oscar Foundation, and Programme Coordinator John Paul Oulo were shot dead by unknown assailants.

Although they were killed only hours after Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua had told a news conference that the Foundation was Mungiki’s fundraising wing, an alleged Mungiki spokesman David Gitau Njuguna said he wanted to reveal the activities of the organisation to the media.

On 13 April 2008, Mungiki leader Maina Njenga’s wife and a driver were killed mysteriously. This was after Michuki had been removed from Internal Security ministry. Mungiki has been presented as a militia that enjoyed State goodwill to commit murder and other bloody crimes in January 2008.

When Mr Njuguna Gitau Njuguna of Mungiki’s political wing was killed after he was confronted by three unknown assailants in Nairobi’s Luthuli Avenue, their leader, Maina Njenga, was by then serving a jail term of five years at Naivasha Maximum Security Prison for being in possession of an illegal firearm.

Mr. Njuguna Gitau Njuguna was the brain behind the idea of turning Mungiki into a political party and he had a nice name for it (KENYA) which stands for Kenya Youth Alliance. He was a university graduate and a close friend of Paul Muite and Maina Kiai and other anti status-quo fellows.

Njuguga had previously organized a conference at the Limuru Conference Center that was well attended. The theme of the conference was to examine ways to effect a generational change in leadership arguing that the same old guard had been in charge of Kenya since independence.

Maina Njenga recently complained that Mungiki was bitter because they had from time to time been used and dumped by Central province leaders. Njenga had complained to police about suspicious cars that have been trailing him on the road and to his Nairobi and Kitengela residences, with some of the occupants leaving messages they wanted to talk to him.

Meanwhile, Michuki’s fear for Raila to become the president was not because he hated him, but because Odinga would feel compelled to avenge the murders of slain Luos Tom Mboya, an independence-era leader believed to have been killed by a Kikuyu, and Robert Ouko, a Moi-era foreign minister believed to have been murdered by Kalenjin.

According to Michuki Odinga would be pressured to avenge these deaths not only against the individual perpetrators, but against entire communities. So his fear was to protect his community from being avenged.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

WORLD: CATHOLICS MARK ASH WEDNESDAY AS CLIMATE CHANGE BITES

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From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, FENRUARY 22, 2012

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day which marks the start of Lent, a period of fasting for Roman Catholics and some Christian sects. It is a time of reflection, a reminder of our mortality which will return to dust when we die. Our mortality then adds urgency to the need for repentance.

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While Lent has traditionally been observed by giving up pleasures, such as alcohol, cigarette, special diets, sweets, etc, churches now encourage the faithful to something during the season that will help others or enrich their spiritual lives.

The Kenya Episcopal Conference -Catholic Justice and Peace Commission in its 2012 Lenten Campaign for example, has in its second week dealt with Food Security. The conference has chosen to deal with this subject since Kenya is currently facing grave food insecurity that threatens the lives of many Kenyans, especially in the semiarid regions. Estimated 4million Kenyans have no food.

On Sunday February 26, the first Sunday of Lent I shall give a talk at Maryknoll Fathers here in Nairobi to the Blessed John Paul II evangelizing Parish teams on climate change and food security. The talk has been arranged by Fr Richard Quinn, the Blessed John Paul II evangelizing Parish teams Director.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni while presiding over fund raising at Great Lakes Region University in Kisumu recently said in order to avert this situation is to exploit agri-business. It was wrong for African countries to keep huge parcels of land idle and yet they were complaining of food deficits.

Elsewhere Museveni has proposed that drip irrigation should be exploited primarily in drought-prone regions to save crops and avert food shortages. Mr Museveni made the remarks while addressing farmers who visited him at his Kisozi ranch recently. Through poverty eradication programme, government should construct water dams.

While food production may benefit from a warmer climate, the increased potential for droughts, floods and heat waves will pose challenges for farmers. Additionally, the enduring changes in climate, water supply and soil moisture could make it less feasible to continue crop production in certain regions.

According to Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kenya may never realise Vision 2030 unless deliberate measures are placed to mitigate the effects of climate change. He informed the 20th meeting of the National Economic and Social Council in 2010 that the preliminary studies into the development trend since the launch of the target some two years ago indicated that the nation had failed to realise the envisaged level of progress over the period.

A report by the Stockholm Research Institute attributed the worrying scenario to the ripple effects of global warming whose culmination was marred by adverse weather patterns including drought and floods.

The PM who presided over the opening session of the meeting held at a Naivasha hotel insisted that mitigation of climate change and reduction of poverty still remained the key yardstick for the transformation of the country.

Mr Odinga has also recommended plans for the country to embark on green energy initiatives to reduce dependency on oil and other sources of power that were not friendly to the environment.

President Mwai Kibaki on his part wants a long term solution to the problem, including the environmental conservation by initiating comprehensive strategies to protect vital water towers in the country and reforestation programmes.

President Kibaki also wants African countries to present new initiatives aimed at enhancing global dialogue and support for environmental solutions for the good of humanity, priorities for sustainable development, poverty reduction and attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Yet changes in the frequency and severity of heat waves, drought and floods, remain a key uncertainty in future climate change. Such changes are anticipated by global climate models, but regional changes and the potential affects on agriculture are more difficult to forecast.

Now that the world has begun to warm, hotter temperatures and rises in sea level “would continue for centuries” no matter how much humans control their pollution.

Water towers such as the Cherangany, Mount Kenya, the Aberdare ranges and Mt. Elgon are drying. They are drying up due to the shrinking forests.

Agroforestry alone could remove 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 50 years, meeting about a third of the world’s total carbon reduction challenge.

As humans continue adding gasses to the air, warming is likely to continue through this century, especially the humidity in the air we breathe- low or polluted humidity. Low or polluted humidity can lead to dry eye, visual impairment and malignant melanoma.

Water vapor is a strong greenhouse gas. Because of its abundance in the atmosphere, water vapor causes about two-thirds of greenhouse warming. As temperatures warm, the atmosphere becomes capable of containing more water vapor, and so water vapor concentrations go up to regain equilibrium.

Clouds cause cooling by reflecting solar energy, but they also cause warming by absorbing infrared energy (like greenhouse gases) from the surface when they are over areas that are warmer than they are.

The amount of water vapor in the air determines how fast each molecule will return back to the surface. When a net evaporation occurs, the body of water will undergo a net cooling directly related to the loss of water.

According to the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, one in three people are already facing water shortages (2007). Around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, while another 1.6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the world’s population, live in a developing country that lacks the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers (known as an economic water shortage).

There are four main factors aggravating water scarcity: Population growth: in the last century, world population has tripled. It is expected to rise from the present 7 billion to 8.9 billion by 2050.

Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. In future years Ash Wednesday will occur on these dates:

2012 – February 22
2013 – February 13
2014 – March 5
2015 – February 18
2016 – February 10
2017 – March 1
2018 – February 14

2019 – March 6
2020 – February 26
2021 – February 17
2022 – March 2
2023 – February 22

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

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Category Archives: Religion

KENYA: CONGRATULATIONS TO FATHER JOHN WEBOOTSA

KENYA: AFRICAN CHURCHES CONFERENCE ENDS IN KISUMU CITY,

BEYOND SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE FOR GLOBAL AGENDA

FATHER OBALLA FINALLY ORDAINED BISHOP FOR NGONG DIOCESE

KENYA: THE NYANZA COUNCIL OF CHURCH LEADERS FORUM.

KENYA: “SELF IMPOSED ARCH BISHOP” REJECTED IN KISUMU BY CHURCH MEMBERS,

USA, GA & KENYA: WIDOWS IN SIAYA COUNTY GIVEN FREE SEEDLING BY SALEM MINISTRY AS EAST GATE CHURCH BASED IN ATLANTA GEORGIA HELPS KENYAN WIDOW.

INDIVIDUAL BISHOPS ARE NOT THE CHURCH

Kenya: KISUMU CHURCH MEMBERS UP IN ARMS AGAINST ITS BISHOP WINNIE OWITI.

Kenya: Happy Easter + Pst Birai

Kenyan politicians should learn from the past lessons and learn how to approach the coming general election in a sober manner

KENYA: ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO’S 32ND ASSASINATION ANNIVERSARY

POPE BENEDICT APPOINTS NEW BISHOP FOR ROCKFORD DIOCESE

CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING THE SECOND AFRICAN SYNOD IN KENYA

WHY CHURCHES IN KENYA ARE SPIRITUALLY AND MORALLY LOSING DIRECTION

FATHER OMOLO AT 56

Minnesota Kenya Prayer Event

POPE BENEDICT DEDICATES MONTH OF MARCH TO PRAY FOR WOMEN

KENYA: UNTOLD STORY OF MICHUKI SHOOT TO KILL ORDER

WORLD: CATHOLICS MARK ASH WEDNESDAY AS CLIMATE CHANGE BITES