Why Can't Our Catholic Bishops Emulate Father Kaiser?

As debate about majimbo dominated the news in the recent past, various injustices were taking place in the country while the President and his ministers were on the campaign trail.

Only a few days ago, while parts of the country were on fire, the Catholic Church Bishops led by one Cardinal designate Njue, were busy speaking strongly against pre-election pledges by political parties instead of condemning the government for failing to provide adequate security to Kenyans being needlessly killed, maimed and displaced in their own motherland. Where are religious morals? It is ironic because some victims of violence have been crying for the spirit of the late Father John Anthony Kaiser to save them. Father Kaiser, a catholic priest, was well known in sheltering victims of political violence in Rift Valley in the 1990s. Our own African bishops have maintained a studious silence as people die in various parts of the country.

Last week, armed raiders attacked Kamwaura Trading Centre in Molo area and set ablaze ten houses before fleeing with seven cattle and household goods. Two people were killed and several others injured. Before the residents could recover, four more houses have been burnt down in the troubled Kuresoi area in Molo District. Thankfully, the burnt houses were unoccupied after terrified residents took cover in local churches and the DC’s compound. So far, there has been no word from government or any of our so called mainstream churches.

As if what is going in Molo is not enough, at least seven persons, including a local chief, have lost their lives in Mt. Elgon district in the month of October alone as a result of politically instigated land feuds. In the previous month (August), about ten other persons were killed by raiders known as Sabaot Land Defence Force. The SLDF is seemingly in charge of security of that area as the local police and District Commissioner watch helplessly.

Mt. Elgon has not known peace for the last one year and about two hundred people have been killed since fighting broke out in December 2006 following inter-clan disputes between the Soy and the Mosop communities over land allocation politics in the Chebyuk Settlement Scheme. All form four and standard eight examination candidates have been transferred to other districts and close to one hundred thousand people have been displaced from their homes. Is this really Kenya one may ask?

Press report this week indicated that tribal clashes victims in Enoospukia are still awaiting for President Kibaki’s promise to re-settle them and provide security during the time he was the Official Leader of Opposition and his present chief campaigner was President Moi. During his opposition days, Mwai Kibaki is quoted as having said that "Mr. Moi cannot afford to maintain silence as if nothing is happening ...[when] the killing of our citizens has been going on…... It is only natural that the victims will take arms to defend themselves." This sentiment arose out of the KANU government's lack of action in curbing the ethnic violence. Hundreds of people were killed, homes destroyed and property worth millions of shillings lost. The President has done nothing in his five years in power. He has since dissolved parliament and will probably not be able to fulfill his promise if the latest opinion polls are anything to go by.

Security, law and order remains the responsibility of the government of the day, more so the President as the commander in chief of the armed forces. All politicians seems to be immersed in electioneering campaigns as innocent citizens lose their lives and property because of irresponsible utterances by the same politicians. This has nothing to do with majimbo. It has everything to do with elections and is simply a way of instilling fear in the hearts of the hapless villagers in order to gain advantage over their perceived political enemies. But at what cost?