Eradicate Poverty To Show Leadership – Press Statement
Preamble
The Regional Conference of the NCCK Western Region has met here at Mabanga Farmers’ Training Center from 14th – 15th May 2015 under the theme Shinning the Light of Christ (Matthew 5: 14 – 16). The Regional Conference is the supreme governance organ in the region and meets once every three years. More than one hundred delegates from the Member Churches of the NCCK participated in this Conference.
We considered matters of concern to the counties under our region, which are Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Vihiga, drawing lessons from Acts 20: 33 – 35
“I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.”
We now wish to share the following messages with the residents of Western Region and the entire nation:
1. Economically Empower All People
This Regional Conference recognizes that true economic empowerment can be summarized as “Food on the Table and Money in the Pocket”. However, this reality has consistently escaped our people over the years, and the result is that most of the residents of Western Region are struggling with extreme poverty. It is our expectation that true leaders at both national and county levels are those who will develop and implement realistic strategies that will result in eradication of poverty in this region and the entire nation. We wish to state here that in future elections, we will decide on the candidates to vote for by assessing the extent to which they have empowered our people to come out of poverty.
In the meantime, we challenge our county governments to facilitate public discussions leading to the development of appropriate and relevant economic engagement activities for every locality so as to economically empower our people. Our people have for a long time been restricted to farming sugarcane, maize and tea as cash crops, yet these have gradually and certainly impoverished us. It is time that our governments facilitated processes that will lead to identification and implementation of relevant agricultural practices. Further, we as residents of our counties must come together and develop relevant industries for value addition of our agricultural products so as to have higher income for the producers.
On our part as church leaders, we have committed to regularly speak to our congregations encouraging the youth to embrace agriculture and value addition practices rather than merely waiting for white collar jobs. However, the county governments must take the initiative to create the relevant environment for these to happen.
2. Eradicate Corruption
This Regional Conference recognizes that the leading factor for poverty in our region is corruption. We celebrate the devolution of power and resources as defined in the Constitution of Kenya 2010, but regret the tragedy that corruption also got devolved to the counties. The result is that we continue to have a number of projects and factories in this region that are non-functional. These include the fish factory at Kakamega, the peanut factory at Khwisero and the pervasive corruption and misperformance by the various sugar companies. Of special note is our demand that the people who brought down the Mumias Sugar Company be punished and made to pay for their crimes.
We call upon His Excellency the President to intensify and expand the campaign against corruption beyond the list of shame he presented to Parliament. Especially of concern is the drama surrounding the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission which needs to be resolved soonest for the fight to bear fruits. We point out that mere words and expressions of intent will remain ineffective until a time when Kenyans witness suspects of corruption arrested, prosecuted and punished severely for their crimes.
3. Public Participation
This Regional Conference recognizes that one of the facilitating factors of corruption and poverty is lack of participation by the people in governance and decision making.
We challenge and call upon the Governors of our counties to create opportunities for genuine participation of the people in governance processes including planning and implementation as well as in monitoring and evaluation.
On their part, we urge our brothers and sisters who are religious and community leaders to seek for opportunities and demand to be heard when they make recommendations on community matters. Of importance will be facilitating accountability forums where congregants and community members will discuss the performance of community projects and hold their leaders to account.
4. Resolve Security Challenges
This Regional Conference expresses concern that our country has experienced incessant terrorist attacks which are aimed at killing Christians and Christian ministers. The worst case was last month when more than a hundred students at Garissa University were brutally massacred. That particular attack revealed that there are community, political and religious leaders in this country who not only support but also finance terrorism. We urge His Excellency the President to take courageous and radical measures against these leaders so as to secure the nation.
On their part, we urge the Governors of our counties to work closely with the national government to ensure that locally people can live in security and safety. Leaders should work at safeguarding Kenyans, not merely pointing fingers at each other.
5. Reverse the Grabbing of Church Schools
This Regional Conference is greatly shocked at the blatant grabbing of church schools by the government through the Basic Education Act 2013. It is very worrying that the government has embarked on a process of declaring church sponsored schools as public institutions and issuing Title Deeds to the education boards. This is blatant robbery since it is the churches that established and run the schools. We call upon the national government to reverse this process and facilitate a review of the Basic Education Act so as to restore the schools to the rightful owners.
Further, we challenge the recent calls for scraping of religious education from the school curriculum. We are convinced that the religious education should actually be expanded so as to inculcate values in the learners as a remedy to the social problems we are currently experiencing.
6. Protect Marriage and Family Life
This Regional Conference was shocked at the ruling by the High Court that Gay and Lesbian organisations can be registered. This blanket legalization of unnatural, immoral and sinful behavior is what we warned would happen when we asked Kenyans to first amend the Constitution before passing it in the referendum in 2010. In the meantime, we support and pray for the Kenya Christians Professionals Forum and the Attorney General who were authorized to appeal the ruling so as to reverse it and safeguard our marriages and family life.
7. Climate Change
This Regional Conference notes that over the last few months, our country has come face to face with the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. We condole with all Kenyans who have lost loved ones in the current phase of flash floods in Nairobi, Narok and other places in the country. We urge all Kenyans to take individual responsibility to take care of the environment. This care should include stopping the incessant littering and use of plastic paper bags, in addition to taking redemptive measures such as afforestation and rainwater harvesting. For success of these efforts, we call upon the relevant offices and departments in county and national governments to aggressively implement climate change response initiatives.
Conclusion
We conclude by thanking God for the favour He continues to bestow on Kenya despite the challenges we face. Let us all remember that poverty is a devastating challenge facing our people and true leaders of our people are those who will address it effectively. May God grant us leaders who will help us to actualize the words of our National Anthem:
Let all with one accord
In common bond united
Build this our nation together
And the glory of Kenya
The fruit of our labour
Fill every heart with thanksgiving
Signed on this 15th day of May 2015 at Mabanga Farmers’ Training Center, Bungoma.
Archbishop Manoah Khaguli
Regional Chairman, NCCK Western Region
