Kenya Archives

Kenyan bishops urge calm as opposition rejects early results

As votes were counted this year in Kenya, foreign observers described the election as credible. The Multi-Sectoral Forum, a group of religious leaders that has advocated for peaceful elections, called on Kenyans “to remain calm and peaceful (and) resume day-to-day operations, appreciating that elections are important, but must not be the end of life.”

Clergy preach peace during Kenyan national elections

Lines for voting formed in the early morning on Tuesday across Kenya, with thousands braving morning drizzle in Nairobi to cast their ballots. The voters came despite the weather and fears of violence. Pastors have been preaching peace ahead of the vote, with no one wanting a repeat of 2007, when election violence left 1,300 people dead.

Churches provide refuge to Kenyans fleeing al-Shabab attacks

Extremist al-Shabab militants are allegedly terrifying thousand of Kenyans, the majority Christians, who have taken refuge in two churches and a school near the Somali border. Church leaders in the country speculate that the attackers are trying to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections by eliminating those who would oppose a strict form of Shariah, Islamic law.

Kenya to add chaplains to public high schools to improve discipline
- Global Church, Religion News Service
- July 9, 2017
Roman Catholic Bishop Paul Kariuki Njiru of the Embu Diocese said hiring well-trained chaplains who are pastors or priests would bear fruit. “We have been blaming the youth, but we have not accompanied them in the development of values and virtues.”
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Catholic bishop says troubled Somali refugees still need acceptance, help
- Catholic News Service, Global Church
- June 23, 2017
Persecuted at home and unwanted in the Kenyan refugee complex, the largest in the world, Somali refugees struggle to find a safe place to stay. The chairman of Kenya bishops’ commission on migrants spoke up about their plight urging countries to continue welcoming refugees.
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Kenyan faith leaders urge better treatment for children with HIV
- Global Church, Religion News Service
- June 18, 2017
The World Council of Churches working in tandem with many faith leaders in Kenya are trying to bring attention to the HIV/AIDS issues that continue to be a key problem in the nation. On the Day of the African Child, they called on pharmaceutical companies to prioritize the development of affordable, easy-to-swallow HIV drugs for children as one concrete action to implement immediately.
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