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Catholic Archbishop Lauds Kenyan Gen Z for Rising beyond Tribalism, Criticizes their “bad language”

Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri. Credit: Archdiocese of Nyeri

Archbishop Anthony Muheria of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri has lauded the unity of Generation Z (Gen Z), which he says transcends their tribal affiliations, urging other generations to emulate them.

In his reflection, the Archbishop noted that despite their flaws, such as the “filthy words” they sometimes use, Gen Zs have nurtured a culture of unity in the East African country that is grappling with tribalism.

“Truly, there are things Gen Z may not have done well, and they have made mistakes, but there is one thing they taught us that indeed they do not have those tribal thoughts,” Archbishop Muheria said in his reflection, which was published on Facebook on Tuesday, August 26.

He said that when Gen Z comes together, “they don’t ask where you come from, they don’t ask which tribe you belong to. They speak as Kenyans. They teach us something.” 

The Catholic Archbishop expressed concern that despite the unity of Gen Z in the East African nation, the young people “have been affected by another disease” of disrespect.

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“Gen Z use words they have heard from movies,” he said, and added, “They use filthy, bad words. They insult each other with filthy, bad words. They allow themselves to speak very easily, using abusive words to one another.”

The Archbishop of Nyeri Archdiocese urged young people in Kenya to free themselves from the “slavery of using unworthy words, disrespectful words,” warning that addiction to “bad language” is detrimental to their future.

Archbishop Muheria cautioned Gen Z against the emerging form of tribalism of “us and you” to sideline other generations.  

Archbishop Muheria compared the previous generations and the current generation in demonstrating respect, saying, “In the past, people used to speak respectfully to one another. Now we speak like people without respect, who do not respect themselves, and do not respect their fellows.”

“We Kenyans lack respect on the road, in service areas, in banks, and even in churches,” Archbishop Muheria said, and added, “That is why the devil is brought in, to make us insult one another.”

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The Local Ordinary of Nyeri Archdiocese encouraged the people of God in Kenya to live according to the ways of the Lord in love and respect.

“Let us reject tribalism. Let us have a pure heart, and then we will be able to serve our brothers and sisters in the spirit of fraternity,” he said.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.