NCCK’s Clarification on Misleading Reports in a Section of the Press

NCCK’s General Secretary Rev. Canon Peter Karanja addresses the press at Jumuia Place Nairobi. He is flanked by his deputy (Left) Dr. Nelson Makanda and Senior Programmes Officer (Right) Mr. Daniel Kimutai.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

PRESS STATEMENT

As provided for in the Constitution of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, 9 Regional Conferences have been successfully held in the months of May and June 2018. Regional Conferences, held once in three years, build up to the tri-annual General Assembly, of which the 63rd will be held in August this year.
Regional Conferences bring together leaders from our member churches and organisations where they transact formal business of the Council and also discuss matters of national concern.
At the end of each conference, our newly elected regional Chairmen and their leadership teams addressed the media on matters of national and regional interest, and copies of the statements were availed to the media and posted on the Council’s website.
It is important to note that prior to the media briefing in any conference, the NCCK engaged in a robust processing and scenario building mechanism through which members discussed the unfolding socio-political and economic realities in the country, and then determined their role in relation to the national roadmap going forward.
The conferences also tried to anticipate the milestones of the country including the upcoming national census, boundaries review, NCCK’s proposal for a constitutional amendment to expand the executive and dignify the opposition, public debate on the constitutional amendments , fight against corruption and both the bridge-building project as well as national cohesion.
The General Secretary, in his official capacity attended all the conferences where both the national and regional leadership of the Council engaged in candid internal reflections.
Such was the basis under which our regional conference in Upper Eastern (Meru), which is now the subject of discussion in some quarters, was held. It is instructive to note that just like in all other regional conferences of the NCCK, an official statement was issued by the leadership of that region capturing the official position of the Council on all relevant matters discussed.
Kenyans will note that media clips have been aired and discussions held around them in some media houses quoting the General Secretary in the Upper Eastern Regional Conference.
NCCK wishes to clarify that whereas the sensational excerpts from the meeting circulated by a section of the media were part of our internal processing at the conference, they are not the official position of the Council and only constitute some of the raw materials used to arrive at the official statement issued at the end of the conference.
The clips, put in their full and proper context should be seen as part of the ongoing vibrant discussions in the country and are of use in the political analysis, academic and social discourse, otherwise used in isolation they are misleading.
However the matters referenced are important and should be engaged by Kenyans as they have implications for peace, success of the Jubilee government’s “Big Four” Agenda, Bridge Building Project and national cohesion and integration.
NCCK therefore encourages honest and genuine conversations by Kenyans and wishes to implore the media to promote sober and robust discussions on matters of national concern without unnecessary sensationalism. The Council is committed to its advocacy role and undertakes to continue to robustly engage all national issues with periodic commentary as we have always done.
Signed on this 3rd day July, 2018 at Jumuia Place, Lenana Road Nairobi
Thank you and may God bless Kenya.

Rev. Canon Peter Karanja
General Secretary