Nyanza Bishops urges for an all-inclusive constitutional amendments.

 Chairman of the Nyanza Council of church leaders Arch Bishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede in a past press conference.A section of clergy in Nyanza region has called for an all inclusive in the matters of amendments to the current constitution-File Photo.

By Dickson Odhiambo.

    

     May 15, 2018.

Nyanza Bishops urges for an all-inclusive constitutional amendments.

A SECTION of the clergy from Nyanza region has called for an all inclusive in the matters of amendments to the current constitution.

The clergy say the country is ripe for the issue of constitutional amendments hence the need to include all the stakeholders.

In a press statement to the newsrooms, the clergy led by the Chairman of the Nyanza council of church leaders Archbishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede and Bishop William Abuka say it is their sincere prayer that Kenyans come up with a constitutional amendment that will help in uniting this nation and move it forward.

The clergy say such constitutional amendments should ensure that the interest of all the communities in the country are taken care of to avoid issues of favoritism, nepotism, negative ethnicity, violence that are usually witnessed during electioneering period. 

“These amendments should also be all inclusive and all the stake holders should be fully involved so as to participate actively and the spirit of public participation is fully encouraged and commendable amendments should be realized by all Kenyans,” they say.

The clergy adds that this is the time Kenyans needs them most especially at this time where both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga have embarked on uniting this country to move forward after the infamous handshake on March 9 this year. 

The clergy at the same time have called for unity of all Churches in Nyanza and the Country as a whole, adding that they should speak with one voice as a Church on matters of National concern and public interest. 

“This is because the Bible says that we are the salt of the world and should lead Kenyans including politicians through a spiritual way. We should not be divided along religious affiliations and should not be seen supporting a particular political divide hence should be neutral,” they add.

They have also urged members of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) in Nyanza Region not to look down upon other Church organizations within the region since they are not competing on any issue that is of public interest but should embrace one another with an aim of helping to unite this loving nation. 

“All churches in this country have their own laid down proper structures but they have a common goal which they want to achieve hence no church organization is superior to one another,” they further say.

On the issue where some clergy within Nyanza Region have claimed that it is the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party is the one that has made the luo community poor, they clergy have stated that this is not true at all, adding that previous governments is to blame for sidelining the region in terms of development since Independence.

“We want to state that this is not true but this should be blamed on the previous regimes for sidelining the region in terms of development for a long time simply because of its stand on opposition politics since independence. This region is not poor as compared to other regions in the country,” they add.

ENDS: