AFRICA/KENYA - The Bishops denounce: "Corruption is killing the country"

Tuesday, 12 April 2016 corruption   bishops  

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "The cancer of corruption is killing our Country. Are we heading towards a society without God, plagued by tribalism, in which money has become the only God": is the sharp cry of alarm of the Bishops of Kenya launched in the final communiqué of their Plenary Assembly.
After recalling the visit of Pope Francis in Kenya last November (see Fides 25/11/2015), the document, sent to Agenzia Fides, describes an extremely worrying situation.
"The ordinary men and women are bearing the burden of corruption. The majority of Kenyans are wallowing in poverty and are unable to meet their basic needs. They don't have access to proper medical care. They lack adequate educational facilities and enough teachers for quality education". The youth are in particular affected, underline the Bishops, who are forced to pay bribes to get a job or they have to know someone "high up".
The Bishops recall the cry of Pope Francis addressed to Kenyans during his visit: "No to corruption". A plague that affects everyone, from politics to the judiciary, from the police, to the school (several students have paid to pass exams dishonestly).
Another plague reported in the document is tribalism, which has never disappeared, and is recovering force to the point that the Bishops say: "We are looking at everything from the prism of ethnicity". Related to this situation is the radicalization of youths "into dangerous groups and activities that have created insecurity and deviant behaviour. (...) What is more worrying is the organized corruption of the youth through bribery, supply of drugs and promotion of sexual immorality in designated places".
"Therefore - continue the Bishops - we are consequently moving towards a Godless society. Our society has turned money into a god. Some People tend to live for money and their philosophy is to have as much money as possible, as quickly as possible and in any way possible".
The Bishops conclude urging Kenyans not to lose hope, because "Christ has gained victory over despair. Let us all fight the evil within us, let us commit ourselves individually and collectively to reject any form of corruption that is destroying our social fabric". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/04/2016)


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