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.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
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