Catholic Bishops concern over bipartisan talks

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has warned that double talk and mockery around the bipartisan talks by top leadership could plunge the country back to chaos.

The Bishops warned over runaway graft, impunity, cases of extra-judicial and failure to respect the constitution as the country marked 13 years since the 2010 constitution came into force.

This emerged during the 23rd anniversary to mark the death of Father John Antony Kaiser who was murdered and his body found dumped in Morendat, Naivasha in August 2000.

Two decades down the line, the killers have never been arrested despite an inquiry in 2002 declaring that the outspoken cleric was murdered and the body dumped at the roadside.

Speaking during the ceremony at the scene of the incident, the Bishops took issue with the high cost of living and fulfilled promises by the government.

According to the chair Bishop John Oballa, the rising cases of graft and land grabbing by senior government had become the order of the day and were worrying.

The Ngong Diocese Bishop said that the church would not remain quiet as things went wrong, adding that the government had failed on the issues of leadership and integrity.

“As the country marks 13 years since the new constitution came into force, we are deeply concerned by rising cases of graft and cases of extra-judicial killings,” he said.

On Kaiser, Oballa took issue with the past and present governments for failing to arrest and prosecute those who killed the Mill-Hill Father.

“We shall not rest until the killers of Kaiser are brought to book as we mourn and laud the work of tens of people killed for protecting the poor and the marginalized,” he said.

On his part, Bishop Cleophas Oseso from Nakuru Diocese took issue with the mockery around the ongoing bipartisan talks.

He said that over 30 people who took to the streets to protest the rise in the cost of living lost their lives even as some top leaders continued to play games around the talks.

“We were promised that the cost of living would come down once the bible was put down and this has not materialized and we fear chaos if the bipartisan talks are ignored,” he said.

Oseso added Kenyans were undergoing untold suffering due to the high cost of education and health even as some top government officials continued to mock the bipartisan talks.

The Bishop called on the country to continue praying for the family of the late Kaiser adding that the church would not remain quiet until those responsible were nabbed.

Others who spoke were Joseph Munyau from the Independent Medical Legal Unit (IMLU) who lauded Kaiser and other murdered activists as the real justice champions for the country.