Bishop in Kenya Calls for Increased Presence of Security Officers in Parts of His Diocese

He called for disarmament, saying, “The government should also devise ways of ensuring that illegal arms in the hands of civilians are mopped out through peaceful and legal means.”

Bishop Mbinda who was speaking after celebrating Holy Mass at St. Lawrence Nakwamoru Parish of Lodwar Diocese spoke about the effects of insecurity in his Episcopal See.

“Those whose livestock have been stolen live in miserable poverty as their source of livelihood is deprived of them,” the Kenyan Bishop who has been at the helm of Lodwar Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination on June 4 said.

“Families have lost their breadwinners, sacred places and items have not been spared either,” he said, and added, “We have lost more than 19 people and at the same time, more than 11 people have been injured while more than 5000 livestock have been stolen.”

Bishop Mbinda condemned the reported attack on the outstation of St. Daniel Comboni Lokori Parish. He said, “I highly condemn the incident that occurred in Kapedo in July 2022 where bandits vandalized the Catholic church, stealing and destroying sacred church property.”

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“I want to urge those who stole those sacred things, Church vestments and other holy Church items to kindly return them to the church in Kapedo,” he said, and added, “Let us put God first and protect His creation as well as His places of worship.”

“Places of worship are oases of peace and if we destroy them, where will our peace come from?” Bishop Mbinda posed.

The 49-year-old Kenyan Bishop who was  appointed on April 4 said the Constitution of Kenya guarantees protection of human life and property, adding that killings and destruction of property violate fundamental human rights.

He further said, “When security is not guaranteed, when peace is lacking, development is curtailed leading to a vicious circle of abject poverty among our people.”

The situation of insecurity in parts of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, Bishop Mbinda said, “is a wakeup call for all stakeholders beginning with the elders and the people of the affected areas, the church and faith groups, NGOs and the government to come and partner together to nurture peace and prioritize development in these affected areas, especially in terms of infrastructure to facilitate easy promotion and nurturing of peace,” he said.

He added, “There is dire need for good roads; there is dire need for water and food; there is dire need for supply of electricity; there is dire need for schools and hospitals, so that our people can live like any other people elsewhere in Kenya.”

Turning his attention to the general elections in Kenya scheduled for August 9, Bishop Mbinda urged the country’s electorate to vote for leaders who will foster peaceful coexistence.

“Let us elect leaders who value human coexistence, not those that will push us to fight for their own personal interests and gain,” he said.

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop advocated for servant leaders in the example of Jesus Christ, leaders who would put “the needs of the electorate first, especially the needs for peace.”

“This time let's pray that the Holy Spirit touches each one of us so that we can listen to the spirit of love, the spirit of brotherly and sisterly concern, the spirit of peace, the spirit of reaching out to our neighbors as created in the image of God,” the Local Ordinary of Lodwar Diocese said.

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He implored, “Let us ask God also that the leaders may preach peace and also use good means to promote and ask for votes at this time, and that each one of us may exercise that act of voting.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.