“No one is insignificant”: Catholic Bishop Calls for Inclusion of Kenya’s Youths in Nation Building

Embu, 07 July, 2025 / 9:11 PM

There is the need to include Kenya’s youths in national activities and decision-making processes as their involvement in nation building is essential, the Vice Chairman of the Commission for Youth Apostolate of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has said.

In his homily at the Nyeri Ecclesiastical Province Youth Mass that brought together young Catholics from Nyeri Catholic Archdiocese and the Dioceses of  Mararal, Isiolo, Nyahururu, Muranga, Meru, Embu, and Marsabit, Bishop Peter Kimani Ndung’u underscored the importance of teamwork in nation building.

“No one is insignificant. Our youth mean a lot. Our youth are part of the community, and they contribute to the nation that is Kenya, the Church we are in, the industries we have, and the economy that is growing,” Bishop Kimani said during the July 6 event at Embu University Grounds.

The Local Ordinary of Kenya’s  Catholic Diocese of Embu added, “It is through the teamwork that we build together, that we are able to create a great country and a strong nation.”

Bishop Kimani cautioned those in power against “chest-thumping” and challenged them to embrace humility by recognizing those at the bottom of the ladder for their little effort in both social and economic development count.

“We must value each other, even in our youthfulness, even in our backgrounds, wherever we come from, and whatever we do. We may be endowed differently—with riches, intelligence, height, body shapes, or whatever appearance we carry—but we must value each other,” he said.

As youths in the East African nation grapple with various challenges that have pushed them to street protests, Bishop Kimani said recalling the violent demonstrations since June 2024, he urged Kenya’s youths, to “always be agents of peace and change.”

As young people, “you are being called upon to be agents of peace and change; to change the tide of the current situation in our nation by bringing God into this journey,” he told the thousands of participants in the Nyeri Ecclesiastical Province Youth Mass in his Episcopal See.

“Make God visible in the dissatisfaction, in the lack of peace, in the hopelessness. Let the world see God as the elephant walking with us on this journey. He is the game-changer, and with Him, we shall cross to the other side without the bridge collapsing,” Bishop Kimani said.

He continued, “We may hear it (bridge) shaking. We may hear it cracking. We may feel it trembling, and there may be real danger of collapse. But if we are with God, nothing will fall apart. We will shake it; but we must do so with a message of peace.”

The Local Ordinary of Embu Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in November 2024 told Kenya’s youths that in the process of seeking purpose and pushing for change in the country, they must always uphold the dignity of life and avoid destruction of property.

Pushing for change, he warned, “is not anarchy; it is not about killing each other or maiming or destroying the bridge, the properties, or the values that we need for our journey – because we shall need them on the other side of the river.”

Bishop Kimani emphasized the importance of education and personal development, saying that the knowledge and skills gained in learning institutions are essential to move the country forward.

“We have acquired much in life, and we will need all of it when we cross to the other side,” he said, and added, “The bridge may be cracking. But we should not lose sight of our values, or of the worthy things that we have in our lives, so that we may use them for the future of where we are going.”

He emphasized the important place of the divine in human life, saying, “With God, the storms of life will not drown us, and we should not give in to these storms. We should not look at them and be afraid of the tremors and disruptions of life. Instead, we must have faith, as young people, to rise above them.”

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop went on to assure youths of the support of the Church even as they grapple with disasters, hopelessness, unemployment, broken families, uncertainty, and despair, among other crises.

As Church, he said, “let us create safe spaces—for creativity, for growth, for transformation. Let us ensure our youths are part of our growing Church, our economy, and our humanity.”

He warned that if the Church does “not provide safe spaces for healing and rebuilding, the youth—who hold the future—will be left without tools to shape it.”

“Just as God holds us close to His heart, so too the Church holds you. That is why we are gathered today, because the Church values you. We want you to have faith, to have hope, to live in peace, and to be agents of these virtues,” Bishop Kimani told the youths in his July 6 homily.