• Any meaningful summit should focus on uplifting women and children living in extreme poverty, peace and the family as the basic unit of society
• President Kenyatta urged to reject ideologies like same-sex unions and homosexuality
Catholic bishops on Friday cautioned that the upcoming International Conference on Population Development will introduce unacceptable ideologies in the country.
The bishops, during a press conference at Elysian Conference Centre on Kiambu road, called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to reject ideologies that corrupt the youths like same-sex unions and homosexuality.
They accused the organisers of disguising the intention of the November 12-14 ICPD 25 summit to advance same-sex marriages and introducing the youth to premature sexual activities against African culture and religious heritage.
“We do not believe that the things they have stated are the issues that truly concern the development of women and humanity at large,” their chairman, Archbishop Philip Anyalo, said.
The summit is expected to focus on sexual and reproductive health and comprehensive education on sexuality.
The bishops said any meaningful summit should focus on uplifting women and children living in extreme poverty, migration, strategies for development, literacy and education, peace, the family as the basic unit of society, ending violence against women as well as ensuring access to employment, land, capital and technology.
Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri said the organisers had not invited the Catholic church although other faith-based organisations are expected to attend.
The clerics, among them John Cardinal Njue, regretted that health services might be crippled due to high level of corruption at the National Hospital Insurance Fund.
“We are deeply concerned. Many of our health facilities and other faith-based health facilities have been experiencing a serious crisis due to delayed refunds by NHIF to the point where it is difficult to procure medicine or pay salaries,” Archbishop Martin Kivuva of Mombasa diocese said.
The bishops appealed to all faiths and people of goodwill to join the war on corruption.
Last month the bishops launched a war on corruption during a retreat at Subukia. They appealed to Kenyans to choose a clean way of life to bring integrity and sanity back to the country.
They called on Kenyans not to focus on material corruption alone but also on moral corruption that has crept in the society and made Christians move away from the will of God.
Image: STANLEY NJENGA
Image: STANLEY NJENGA