Mombasa, KENYA: Bishops from various denominations in Mombasa county on Tuesday held a forum to speak on peace in the country calling for urgent electoral reforms.
The clergy headed by Catholic Archbishop of Mombasa diocese Bishop Martin Kivuva, congratulated NASA leader Raila Odinga on the handshake with President Kenyatta. However, they have emphasized the importance of promoting election reforms in order to avoid any disputes that arise after every election in the country.
“it is our prayer that the handshake will bear good fruits to our counties and communities.” Said Bishop Kivuva.
Bishop Kivuva has asked the head of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC Wafula Chebukati to take responsibility in finding solutions to the disputes surrounding the commission.
This he says will help in avoiding any further mistakes in the coming elections.
They have also criticised the state of insecurity in Mombasa county, especially in Likoni where teenagers are involved in criminal acts and robbing passersby even during the day. They have cited the lack of education and employment as a major contributor of crime among these young people.
The Bishops have also termed Mombasa County as a major tourist attraction in the country and demanded the county government be responsible for waste collection to prevent diseases.
A statement released at the forum read in part “our status as a tourist destination demands that we keep high standards of cleanliness”.
Most recently in social media, the older users of different social sites criticized using the #ifikiewazazi the younger generation for indecent exposure and explicit content posted on their social media pages.
Bishop Lambert Mbela of the Redeemed Gospel churches also weighed in on the issue saying it is a community responsibility, in general, to develop good moral values for teens who are growing in this digital age but parents should be the first to take responsibility in instilling them.
The bishops Concluded the forum by inviting all residents of Mombasa and people of goodwill to a prayer rally to be held this Sunday 22nd April 2018 at Tudor Baptist high school grounds from 1 pm, the theme of the rally is healing and reconciliation for peace co-existence.
