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Ahead of Independence Day, Catholic Archbishop Urges Kenyans to “sing independence songs through actions”

Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri. Credit: Archdiocese of Nyeri/Shutterstock
Sabrine Amboka

By Sabrine Amboka

Nyeri, 09 December, 2025 / 3:42 pm (ACI Africa).

Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri has called on Kenyans preparing to celebrate  Jamhuri (Independence) Day to express true patriotism through concrete acts that promote service, justice, and compassion.

Jamhuri Day, observed annually on December 12, commemorates Kenya’s independence from Britain in 1963.

In his Tuesday, December 9 reflection, which the Catholic Mirror, a publication of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), published, Archbishop Muheria emphasized the significance of Jamhuri Day to Kenyans and urged them to look beyond festivities and listen to “the voice of the Lord” calling the nation toward justice.

He challenged Kenyans to go beyond symbolic gestures and demonstrate their patriotism through tangible actions that contribute to the common good, saying, “As we celebrate Jamhuri Day, as Kenyans, it is good even now that we may hear the voice of the Lord with hope that our country will become a nation with justice.”

“We citizens must begin to put effort and remember it is not only to sing songs of independence but also to sing songs through actions that are of service, of coming to our companions, of building communication, cooperation, and so on, defending justice in our country,” Archbishop Muheria appealed. 

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He went on to call on Kenyans to embrace the true meaning of freedom, saying it should uplift all people, not just benefit a select few.

“Freedom is not beating our chests. Freedom is not oppressing, not suppressing,” the Kenyan Archbishop said, and explained, “Freedom is lifting up; lifting up our poor, the sick, the illiterate, the disabled, and all those who have problems. We reach out to them, we respect, and we serve them. That is how we shall be able to be Kenyan Christians of God.”

“Our Christianity cannot be only for benefiting ourselves that we come to church, that we consider ourselves Christians, that we have been given seats and positions of responsibility, but we seek ourselves. We must come out of this mindset of seeking to buy things that surround us, farms, and even increasing our wealth,” he said.

In his reflection, Archbishop Muheria also lamented that corruption had contributed to injustice and the suffering of the poor in the country and called for the fight against it in the East African nation. 

“We must uproot this disease,” he said referring to corruption and called on leaders in Kenya to “change their thinking to be able to serve and respect others.”

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He expressed optimism in the future of Kenya, saying he hopes that the nation will “reach a place where when we see a leader we respect him because … we will know that this one can never take public property because he is a humble person and a person of God.”

“We have hope that even our country will be able to be saved by the power and grace of the Lord, but every Kenyan, you and I, must put in efforts of Christianity, self-denial, and turning our thoughts away from our greed and instead place our thoughts on respecting others, serving others; serving so that our country is not oppressed because of corruption,” Archbishop Muheria said.

Sabrine Amboka

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.

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