By Christine Baraza
Its almost the theatre of the ABSURD when you hear NCCK Secretary KARANJA saying that the church was neutral in the 2005 referendum but will not be neutral this time round. That the church will mobilize its followers to say NO to the Constitution. A number of points to take him. The Kenyan church lost any moral ground to argue its case in the 2005 referendum when they were bought by the state and refused to give any leadership at all as to which direction they felt the country should take. There henceforth the church has no credibility telling anyone where to vote at all.
Secondly in 2007, the Kenyan church betrayed the people of Kenya a second time by openly being partisan and supporting the incumbent regime even when they knew that the regime hadnt lived up to its promises. Even after the BLOODY ELECTIONS of 2007, people like Bishop NJUE were openly TRIBAL in their support of what was open stolen elections and swearing in in DRAKNESS. What Kind of church is THIS?
Third its a SMOKESCREEN the issues that the church is pegging its opposition to the Draft Constitution. KADHIS COURTS have existed in Kenya since 1963 and have never prevented any CHRISTIAN from going to church neither have KADHIS COURTS ever ever advocated for sharia Law in the country. They deal only with Muslim Customary Law and do not threaten any christian in any way. There is need for any democracy to take care of issues of minorities-pure and simple. These churches are OUT OF ORDER and must stop such fundamentalism which does not help this country at all.
The issue of abortion is very clear in the draft constitution that it shall only be performed when the child or the mothers life is threatened and only after an opinion of a certified Doctor-What else would christians want to be done? Should a Mother be left to die when complications arise because of the pregnancy? Should be the foetus be left to die due to pregnancy complications? Again these christians should know that in a country like Kenya such abortions are done everyday by quacks-better they are done in the open by qualified doctors and in situations that need them to be done. CHRISTIANS lets open our eyes and not approach this issue with such vile fundamentalism.
The Kenyan church leaders must be told no in no uncertain terms. You have misled this country and you continue misleading this country. Pray to the God you claim to worship and ASK FOR FORGIVENESS. In 2007 YOU FAILED KENYANS..In 2005 YOU FAILED KENYAN..Throughout KIBAKI’S RULE-YOU HAVE FAILED KENYANS..Its sad to see a tribalist like NJUE not coming out of the closet to oppose the draft constitution after supporting tribalism in 2007..WHERE IS Accountability Bishop NJUE..Is that what BISHOPS do? Is that what the CHURCH STANDS FOR? Kenyans are done with you bishops-they want progress and you are dragging them back. KENYANS SHALL WIN IN THE REFRENDUM WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. WHAT GOD DO YOU WORSHIP?
It is very sad to read people’s opinion, some praising and castigatigating the Proposed New Constitution. I have obseved with keen interest the problems Kenyans are facing. I still maintain that Kenya will not change much and the problems will not be solved by the Constitution untill such a time that we shall have good leadership.
The current Constitution, though not perfect because of concentrating power in the Institution of the Presidency is the best if we could find somebody who has the interest of the people. I am for sure not for the idea of a Constitution that does not empower Institutions. We all know that resposibility without authority is useless.
What we need is also to alter or insert clause(s) that empower the people to deal with abuse of power. You all read how our so called “Leaders” are grouping themselves into tribal blocks for the next election, yet the country has not healed from the post election violence that was caused by these tribal blocks. You all know that the last violence was caused primary by Corruption. It was caused by the corrupt who wanted to continue stealing and those who wanted to enjoy the protection of the system so that they remain in their”save havens” of corrupt practices.
After witnessing the optimism of Kenyans after the 2002 elections and the way things were looking bright, revenue collection improved and we almost reached to the point where IMF and World Bank were becoming irrelevant. I am convinced that given the current Constitution to operate with, 90days is enough to prove leadership capability.
Kenyans are not tribalistic as others want us to believe, but Kenyans have few greedy and corrupt who take advantage of their tribes to protect their own ill gotten wealth. When some leaders breed Gangs at their back yard to terrorize others, they thought they would be safe. Those gangs have mutated themselves into terror squards and in some areas people cannot even keep chicken or goats because the gangs will not spare them. It is therefore high time that we address the real problem.
Just to reinforce my point, why do you think MPs were desperately holding meetings and desperate to change some of the clauses in the proposed draft? Some of them just see the Draft Constitution in terms of how it can serve them best, NOT how the document will serve Kenyan generation to come. During the Kanu Era, most current MPs were clamouring for Change of the Constitution and they pushed until the Presidential term was limited to 2 Terms. Now that they are in the system, they wish that the Presidential term be limitless. This can demonstrate the level of deceit and greed within our so called “Leaders”.
It is therefore not necessary to say that the Church is betraying Kenyans. Just look carefully the Ethnic identity of the so-called Church leaders and follow their associates and you will know why they are for or against the Draft Consittution. Last time, some church leaders remained “Neutral” because their own poeple were on the wrong side but they didn’t want to be seen to be siding with the opponents.
To say the least, solutions to Kenyan problems will only end after we stop corruption. We are a brilliant people, rich and united BUT corruption Divide and Exploit us to the bone.
I think Christine Baraza is rather harsh on her blanket condemnation of the church. In law making, groups as well as individuals lobby for their greatest advantages. The christian churches are no different in that regard. Given a chance, the bishops would want to be the ones the president reports to. Of course they will do away with parliament. They will be the law. Never you mind what the good book says they may even prohibit its reading. It does not to the least bother me what they say in preserving their selfish ends so long as they do not encroach into others aspirations. If the muslims have managed to preserve their courts more power to them so long as it does not require of me to subsidize its operations.
Omolo’s views on the other hand bother me. (S)he is categorical that we are not tribalists. I think that is being in denial. Our tribal inclinations are so dominant in our thought process that it permeats every thing we do or do not do. For vast majority of Luos Raila is infallible. He can do no wrong and his ascending into power is as messianic expectation. For equal percentage of Kikuyus it does not matter who among the Kikuys become president but he, I don’t not know about She, must be of the house of mumbi. Trust me that is equally true for all the other tribes. It is an issue that needed transparency to deal with. I was hopeful that devolving of power to regions would begin to address the issue with a view to fair aportionment of national resources including appointments to national offices.
But even greater than all the forementioned is the issue of blatant corruption, which has gained currency as impunity. For that I do not have a suggestion. It has completely undermined our national character. I do not know how the new constitution would deal with it. It is apparent corruption is the currency of choice at any stage any activity is transacted in Kenya. It grew from kitu kidogo vis goldenburg to a million outlets.
CARDINAL NJUE ENCOURAGED MWAI KIBAKI TO BE TOUGH AT A CHURCH SUMMONS, 2003 SOON MOU AND NARK COLLAPSED!
Cardinal Njue definitely took sides with PNU. He is stone silent on Mt Kenya corruption and misgovernance. He is religiously silent on GEMA tribalism in allocation of jobs. He is stone silent on the PEV. He is stone silent on the callous impunity in the country.
What is amazing is that the Pope has not seen it fit to demote him or send him away from the Catholic Church all together.
Is the Pope waiting gleefully for the Rwanda Catholic repeat or is he happy that his Catholic colleague in the Vatican supported Adolph Hitler to the hilt in the last world war?
Miss Barasa is right.
DR ODIDA OKUTHE.