PROMOTE PEOPLE-DRIVEN DIALOGUE PROCESS
PRESS STATEMENT
1. Preamble
The Executive Committee of the National Council of Churches of Kenya has met here at Jumuia Conference and Country Home, Limuru, for the last two days to transact statutory business and reflect on matters of national concern. We recognize that for a long time, Kenyans have suffered due to conflicts arising from ethnic and political divisions. Efforts and interventions in the past have not facilitated the required reconciliation for redemption of the nation. There is a desperate need for a redemptive process that is premised on three principles: Reconciling the nation; Renewal of National Values; and, Recovery and Reconstruction of the Economy and Service Delivery. We appreciate that this is the approach that God upholds, as He declared in Isaiah 1: 18
Come, let us reason together, says the Lord
With this in mind, we wish to share the following message with all Kenyans.
2. Consolation Due to Destructive Floods
This Executive Committee was deeply saddened by the report of high number of deaths, injuries and destruction of properties and livelihoods due to the raging floods being experienced in different parts of the country. Most touching was the death of more than 60 people in West Pokot. We took time to pray for the families of the bereaved, and for all those affected that God will grant quick recovery of health and livelihoods. To promote brotherly kindness and support for all those affected by the floods, the NCCK pleads with believers in the congregations of our member churches and all well wishers to donate generously. Donations can be sent to Paybill Number 519900, Account “Floods”.
3. Second National Dialogue Conference
The Executive Committee is pleased to have been part of the National Dialogue Process spearheaded by the Dialogue Reference Group (DRG). Through the process, we held a National Dialogue Conference in September 2018, followed by 44 County Dialogue Conferences between November 2018 and August 2019. The County Dialogue Conferences gave Kenyans of all walks of life an opportunity to analyse the issues that affect us and make recommendations on how to resolve them at national and county levels. The resolutions of these conferences have been compiled into a draft National Dialogue Consensus Agreement, which will be received, reviewed and launched by the Second National Dialogue Conference on December 4th and 5th, 2019.
Through the National Dialogue Consensus Agreement, we together with all Kenyans will present a roadmap to a cohesive and prosperous nation.
In this regard, this Executive Committee welcomes and appreciates the release of the report of the Building Bridges Initiative Task Force. We will study the report and continue participating in the process of healing the nation.
4. Conclusion
We conclude by calling upon all Kenyans to hear the word of God recorded in Isaiah 61: 4, which is a promise of what happens when people turn to God and He brings restoration:
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
Let us all embrace dialogue and reconciliation, and God will visit our nation to restore it. But let us remember to embrace justice for all, so that God looks on us with favour. We therefore urge all Kenyans to actively participate in national and local level dialogue processes organized by different actors for the betterment of our nation.
We take this moment to wish all Kenyans a Merry Christmas and a blessed and God-filled New Year 2020.
Signed on this 27th day of November 2019 at Jumuia Conference and Country Home, Limuru.
Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki
Chairperson
Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui
General Secretary
