Tudor, Kenya: Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, John Oballa, opened the National Consultation Meeting on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The meeting addressed various topics on Advocacy, Dialogue and Mediation at the Lady Mother of Africa Pastoral Centre in Tudor.
During the meeting, John Oballa discussed longstanding social and political issues in Kenya. He addressed the problems related to the high cost of living. He also called the CJPD secretaries and commissioners to take the matters urgent as the country moves towards the 2027 general elections.
The CJPD (Catholic Justice and Peace Department) is the Commission of Kenya Catholic Bishops. It is mandated to promote Justice and challenge oppressive structures in the community.
Bishop Oballa also called on the Justice and Peace Workers to empower and engage the youth. He called them agents of peace through awareness programs and promoting alternative livelihoods.
Speaking at the meeting, he said there was a need to enhance public trust in the electoral process, particularly in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
For this reason, he called on the justice and peace workers to advocate for early enactment of electoral-related laws and early reconstitution of the IEBC.
The bishop said there was a need to promote nationhood through various initiatives, including:
eradication of inequality
ethnicity
political intolerance and hate speech
He noted that it was unfortunate that political leaders propagated these vices in various forums and social media.
Bishop Oballa expressed concern that corruption was still deeply rooted in Kenya’s political system. It is creating a culture of handouts which fueled political loyalty and willingness by supporters to perpetuate violence.
He urged the CJPD Executive Secretaries to firmly stand against corruption from the family, village and country levels. He observed that even the high cost of living being experienced in the country could be linked to past and present corruption.
He also urged the justice and peace workers to speak out against over-taxation and excessive borrowing by the Government without accountability and always to be guided by the principle of Preferential option for the poor.