«A society cannot be united if it loses its moral values. We learn from the Bible that Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezekiel 16:48-50) became a symbol of a decadent society, whose moral fabric was systematically eroded” the Bishops of Kenya write in a statement issued at the end of their plenary assembly, in which they assess the present state of the country.
In the document sent to Fides News Agency, the Bishops denounce various forms of threats: child abuse; child pregnancy; abortion. “United with the Holy Father and all the bishops of the world we are close to the victims of sexual abuse and all forms of violence against minors and vulnerable adults”.
“The violence and evil committed against minors and vulnerable members of a society is a sign of a morally sick society. As your shepherds, we shall do everything possible to implement policies on child protection and safeguarding of these vulnerable members and require all who work with minors to commit themselves to these policies”.
Another issue denounced by the Bishops is promiscuity and increased cases of pregnant school girls rise in cases involving abortions, often encouraged by the media. “Let us be wary of multinational companies and commercial adverts that advocate freedom of choice and easy solutions of self-exaltation that goes against the very moral law of God ” the Bishops warn.
At the economic and social levels, the document denounces “the suffering of farmers in our Country who, after laboring so much to produce their crops cannot find the market for their produce. The people economically destroying the livelihoods of our farmers are those who connive and are allowed to import maize, sugar, rice and other commodities from outside yet the commodities are found in plenty within our Country. ”
The bishops also express concern for that the fact that certain politicians continue to instigate clashes and division among the different communities for electoral purposes. The Bishops acknowledge the efforts being made in the fight against corruption that has infiltrated every aspect of society
Wasting of public monies leads to public services of scarce quality with taxation striking the weaker members of the population, the Bishops recall.
The discovery of natural resources to exploit such as minerals and oil must lead to real benefits for all Kenyans. “The Government has a responsibility to provide clarity on any mining and oil exploration projects before it gives the go ahead for commencement. All effort must be placed towards building citizen confidence and trust in the governance of natural resources. Lack of clarity, transparency, and non-adherence to the law, are a recipe for chaos and resource curse that has befallen many countries in Africa. The message refers to the phenomenon on the basis of which a country with more mineral and hydrocarbon tends to have less economic growth and development compared with countries with less natural resources.
