We Will Work Together, Declare Kaparo, Canon Karanja

The National Council of Churches of Kenya will continue playing a major role in the search for practical and relevant solutions to the conflicts that afflict the people of Kenya, the General Secretary, Reverend Canon Peter Karanja, has assured.

“We shall continue to play a major role in this conversation.  The Council adopted a devolution structure that enables us to engage nationally. We must ask ourselves how political interests can be exploited in a manner that does not cause violence,” Rev Canon Karanja pointed out.

He was speaking during a courtesy call he paid on the Chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), Hon Francis ole Kaparo.

During the meeting, the two leaders had extensive discussions on how the two institutions and other stakeholders can forge a common front in building meaningful national cohesion and integration.

While acknowledging the visit, Hon Kaparo noted that the work of promoting cohesion and integration was difficult but would get done.

“Kenyans like being told lies. The challenge to this work is how to penetrate the soul and mind of Kenyans. We have no option but we must do it,” said Hon Kaparo. He added that it was it was in the self interest of Kenyans to foster unity among the various communities. The meeting was also attended by NCIC’s Chief Executive Officer Hassan Mohammed, NCCK Senior Programme Officer for Governance and Social Services Joseph Ngetich among others.

Rev Canon Karanja took the opportunity to appraise the recently-appointed chairman of NCIC on the achievements of the prime peace programme of the NCCK dubbed Pamoja Initiative. The Initiative, implemented over the last six years, has sought to build bridges within and between communities by providing safe spaces for intra and inter ethnic dialogue.

The second phase of the Pamoja Initiative was launched a few weeks ago and is aimed at facilitating intra and inter ethnic dialogue through county forums. It is an inter-agency initiative to which Hon Francis Kaparo was nominated chairman. The Pamoja Initiative II has  brought together various partners among them the NCIC, Inter Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Directorate of National Cohesion and National Values, National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI). It is based on the premise that leaders of ethnic communities need to see collaboration with other communities not as an ideal or act of altruism but rather a matter of enlightened self interest.