The National Council of Churches of Kenya General Secretary, Reverend Canon Peter Karanja, has today held discussions with more than 70 church leaders from the Coast region in readiness for the rollout of phase II of the expanded Pamoja Initiative. During the meeting held at Jumuia Conference and Beach Resort, Kanamai, the leaders expressed concern over rampant insecurity and how to achieve meaningful cohesion among various communities living in the area.
Addressing the gathering, Canon Karanja underscored the need for the leaders to speak with one voice and find solutions to the challenges afflicting the Coast region. He asked them to put in place structures that will enable them achieve their objectives.
He further challenged the church leaders to ensure they have a proper diagnosis of the issues affecting the region if they are to proffer viable solutions. “We must ask ourselves whether there are any differences between locals and those from other areas. Tribes will always be there and all of them have genuine issues that make them angry and even fight at times. The question is how do we ensure that we protect our enlightened self interests?” he posed.
The General Secretary implored the leaders to embrace diversity in matters of doctrine. “We should not split churches. Let us do our analysis well and deal with issues that divide us. Communities and interest groups should clarify their internal issues that are at the heart of their differences with other communities,” said Canon Karanja.
Other issues discussed during the meeting included land and religious conflicts and radicalization of the youth in the region.
Those who attended the meeting included Bishop Julius Kalu (Anglican Church of Kenya), Bishop Dr. Paul Selel (Fellowship of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya) Bishop Tee Nalo (Kenya National Congress of Pentecostal Churches), Bishop Abarijah Kinogah (Evangelical Alliance of Kenya), Rtd Reverend Lawrence Dena who is the chairman for NCCK’s Coast region, and Reverend Jane Jilani among others.
The church leaders’ meeting is part of the Pamoja Initiative’s wider objective of achieving meaningful national cohesion and integration in the country. The preparatory meeting came ahead of countrywide intra and inter community dialogue forums expected to be rolled out soon.
The expanded Pamoja Initiative (Phase II) brings together the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), Directorate on National Cohesion and National Values, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management (NSC), Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and the government.
