“We are concerned”: Bishops in Kenya Over Alleged Misuse of COVID-19 Emergency Fund

The revelations attracted angry reactions from a section of Kenyans who, through online forums, expressed their criticism of implicated government officials as being opportunistic.

During his Labour Day address, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed the claims  of misappropriation of COVID-19 emergency kitty, assuring Kenyans that the money will be audited “to the last cent.”

In the two-page statement availed to ACI Africa, the Bishops in Kenya highlight the plight of the vulnerable citizens such as children, women, and people living with disabilities and exhort parents to “to take extra care of their children, including guarding them against harmful Internet content.”

Currently, there is an increase of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in our society, the Bishops note and appeal to “spouses to gain a heart of love, understanding, respect, and patience for each other, especially during this time of the pandemic.”

Reading the collective statement, Bishop Oballa who also serves as the Chairman of KCCB’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) appealed to the government to support faith-based medical facilities in their fight against COVID-19 because doing so “will supplement Government's efforts in containing the disease at the earliest opportunity possible.”

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“We request that Faith-based Facilities, most of which serve in hard-to-reach populations in Arid and Semi-arid Land (ASAL) and Informal Settlements, be included in the distribution of PPEs, and also that their staff be considered for access to the Government Covid-19 treatment and isolation Facilities for Healthcare Workers,” the 61-year-old Bishop of Ngong Diocese appealed.

Terming the damage and loss occasioned by ongoing heavy rains in the country as heartbreaking, the Kenyan Prelate, on behalf of the Catholic Bishops in Kenya, noted that going by increasing deaths, displacement of people and loss of property from natural disasters, “we all have to reflect deeper on our disaster preparedness so as to minimize loss of lives whenever tragedies happen.”

“We truly thank our Medical staff in particular for the enduring love for this country. Our hope, moving forward, is in their hands with the help or God,” the Bishop noted and added, “We also thank many other people in the line of duty and whose work is complementary to the Medics, such as the Media, Security and Food Suppliers, without whom we will be losing hope against the pandemic.”

The Kenyan Prelate invited all Christians and Kenyans to join the Bishops in “praying for our beloved Country and especially for those who are in the frontline to save lives where disasters have occurred and our Medics taking risks as they treat patients, including those infected and affected by the Coronavirus.”

There have been at least 490 reported cases of COVID-19 in Kenya; 24 people have died and 173 have recovered from the disease.