Kenya
Where are you going for your holidays" - "Kenya"
The name of the country is on everyone's lips. A tranquil land, ideal parks for safaris, enviable beaches…but is this the real Kenya? Lights and shadows are so intermixed it is difficult to separate them which means to find the truth we must get to know the situation from the inside.
Relatively recent excavations in north east Kenya (1980s) revealed bones and remains of people who lived here probably more than two million years ago, and so Kenya was defined the "cradle of humanity". Apart from the question of its origin, Kenya's history is fairly recent (19th century) marked by the passage of merchants coming from Europe and Arabia in search of ivory and slaves. Some of these settled, forming groups of various ethnic origin that still exist, each with their own organisation and independence. In 1985 Kenya became a British Protectorate and then in 1920 a colony. In that period, using local labour, the British built the Mombasa-Kisumu railway to exploit the land's resources, although only to their own advantage. This unleashed rancour and hatred to the point that there was an explosion of violence and cruelty against the whites.
In 1952 the Mau Mau (secret terrorist organisation of Kikuyu tribesmen), staged a rebellion which led Kenya to independence (1963) and Jomo Kenyatta was elected first president. He was followed by Arap Moi (1978) still in power.
The country's domestic situation instead of gradually improving, as Kenyatta had tried to do, deteriorated marked also by widespread corruption at all levels, criminality, murders and robberies.
Tourism, a good source of income, dropped considerably because of the lack of security. And to think that it held so much promise! The number of airline carriers calling on Kenya is decreasing, a flourishing agricultural production, bananas, coffee, pineapple, is dying because falling market prices discouraged production.
The consequences, inevitable, effect the country as a whole and also individual families. If we think that Kenya's population increases annually by 4% (the population today is 25,000,000) the future looks bleak.
Kenyan society today finds itself in a highly explosive situation. In 1982 the same situation provoked a coup, immediately suffocated at a dear price. Nevertheless Moi was re-elected president in 1993.
The Parties of the Opposition, which in the meantime obtained recognition whereas as before there was only one party KANU, failed to unite, they broke up and were defeated. Now the date of elections has come round again (December 27) and the political climate is still extremely tense. Alignments are already appearing: Moi is trying to impose his candidacy (in power for 22 years he cannot stand) by walking over the Party's candidates. In the meantime those who pay the price are the people, to whom, as usual and as everywhere, promises will be offered.

The Church in Kenya
Kenya recognises freedom of religion, Christians are 66% of its population of 25 million but, precisely thanks to this religious freedom- the country has hundreds of religious denominations all equally recognised by the state.
Muslims, living mainly along the coast and on the shores of Lake Victoria - make up 12% and they are a serious challenge for inter-religious dialogue encouraged by the Church. In addition there are numerous sects of vivacious local fantasies which create considerable disturbance. Christianity in Kenya dates to 1498 with the passage of Portuguese merchants travelling to India in search of spices. A presence, that of the Portuguese, which failed to take root. For a real expansion of Christianity it was necessary to wait for the arrival of the Holy Ghost Missionaries in 1889 who settled with their Bishop on the island of Zanzibar and from there, ten years later, went to Nairobi, where they built the first Catholic church and opened a Catholic Mission. At last in 1902 the Consolata missionaries arrived and the Church began to take root across the country.
The local Church grew rapidly and in 1989 celebrated its first centenary with 16 dioceses. Today there are 23 dioceses, one military ordinariate and one apostolic vicariate. If the Church flourished it was thanks to the work of many, many missionaries of various institutes. Today the Church in Kenya sends its own missionaries overseas, in 2000 they numbered 200.
The Church's well organised structure gives her prestige and credibility.
Catholic Bishops always issue joint pastoral letters for particular occasions or situations (social tension, before elections etc.,) much appreciated by the whole country, including national leaders; mission schools and healthcare structures are on the cutting edge and greatly requested, and this enables her to look with great confidence to the future. Lay Catholics are very active and dedicated, some have prominent and delicate positions, even in government.
With regard to the health sector, the Camillians contribute in South-Nyanza with two hospitals in Tabaka and Karungu and a series of mobile clinics which cover a good part of the provincial territory. Their formation houses in Nairobi and Karungu prepare young people for Religious Life as well as offering assistance to needy children, mostly AIDS orphans. A few drops in the ocean, but they help to render the Church's humanitarian work visible and appreciated.
Isn't this part of evangelisation? "Cure the sick and tell them the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Mt 10, 7-8).

Some figures
Area: 582.646sq km; population: 25.000.000; Capital: Nairobi; Government: Republic; language: Swahili, English. Religions: Christianity (66%), Tribal cults (22%), Islam (12%).
(Camillian Missionaries/ Fides Service 19/12/2002)