The out pouring of emotions from the Catholic faithful who jammed the Sacred Hearts Cathedral in Eldoret Friday to view the body of Bishop Cornelius Kipg’eno Korir was a clear testimony of the bond he had with the people he served.
His humility, simplicity and willingness to help those in distress and his forthright stance on good governance and justice for all endeared him to many.
Bishop Korir led the line when thousands were displaced from their farms in elections related violence and ethnic politics in Burnt Forest and other areas of the North Rift before the 1992 multi-party elections and took in another 10,000 victims of the 2007-08 violence.
His qualities as a peace maker emerged early in life when he was a student at the Mother of Apostles Seminary in Eldoret where his classmates at the time describe him as a man who loved and helped other students.
“He was a little bit older than us when he joined in Form Two in 1973 and was comfortable sitting at the back of the class while Bishop Philip Anyolo sat in the middle and I at the front,” says veteran journalist Muliro Telwa.
Mr Telwa recounts that at the age of 15 to 16, most boys were naughty and aggressive. But Bishop Korir, who could have been either 17 or 18, was always the peacemaker, ensuring there were no fights.
Telwa also had the privilege of covering him, and like other journalists, liked his simplicity because unlike other bishops, he was always ready to answer calls and give interviews.
At one time when the diocese was in financial trouble over a loan it took to take care of the thousands of displaced persons, the Mother of Apostles Seminary was almost auctioned. The Bishop found himself on the spot, but did not shy away from responding to questions.
“Yes, we took money to take of the thousands of people who were displaced but we will repay it,” he told journalists.
With his death, the nation has lost a great leader. This was the common theme Friday as leaders and residents eulogised a man whose life was defined by courage and messages of peace.
True man
He was described in glowing terms, key among them his role as a peacemaker, and how he never shied away from pointing out wrongs in the society.
Speakers narrated how he traversed the region preaching peace and tranquillity at a time when various communities were in conflict and his role in the expansion of the Catholic Church in the North Rift region.
Former Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey best captured the role of the Bishop in the region. The former minister was a close friend of the late Bishop and was one of those who welcomed him to Eldoret when he arrived 27 years ago.
“Bishop Korir was my friend. Since he became bishop in 1990, I went to receive him and brought him here. For all the 27 years, I can call him a true man of faith. You hear people saying ‘Man of God. Bishop was a true Man of God,” said Mr Kosgey.
“When he came here, the church had declined, but he did his job of preaching the gospel and expanding the diocese.”
Francis Mayobo, the former Chair of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Langas, Eldoret, worked closely with the Bishop at the height of the 2007-08 post-election violence.
“It was very hard for us as a parish, but he encouraged us. We managed to reconcile as communities. There was a lot of tension, but he helped us bring communities together,” said Mr Mayobo.
Bishop Korir will be remembered for opening doors to over 10,000 post-election violence victims and hosting them at the Sacred Heart Cathedral for almost a year.
The Bishop was expected to confer ministries to seminarians at St Mathias Mulumba Senior Seminary two days before his death, Saturday Standard has established.
The seminarians at the facility had made preparations for the event that was to coincide with the All Saints Day celebrated annually on November 1.
“He had volunteered to come and we were shocked to receive news of his death,” said Father John Kamau, who is a lecturer at the facility. Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth of the Kisumu Archdiocese will now confer the ministries, which in the Catholic Church are steps towards sacred orders to seminarians set to become deacons.
Friday, Father Kamau said Korir used to visit the Kapsabet-based seminary from time to time to encourage the seminarians. “He was a father to the seminarians. He embraced all his faithful regardless of tribe. He believed in the spirit of inclusivity,” Fr Kamau said.
To make the seminary self-reliant, the Bishop started projects such as a 20-acre tea farm and poultry and dairy farming to enable the institution to be self-reliant.
Kamau said one of Bishop Korir’s greatest achievements was to make the Diocese of Eldoret cosmopolitan, adding that he was accessible and had time to listen to everyone.
The Bishop died just days before he was to ordain a group of deacons, one of whom he pulled out of an Internally Displaced People’s camp into the seminar.
A Catholic priest described the departed Bishop Korir as a leader who spoke truth and propelled issues affecting the disadvantaged in the society.
Fr Gabriel Dolan of Bangaladesh parish in Mombasa remembers Bishop Korir as a person who always sought for justice for the unprivileged in the society without fear.
“He always stood for the unprivileged in the society and nothing stopped him from championing for justice for those whose rights had been violated by the State. He could point out the wrongs,” Fr Dolan told Saturday Standard on phone from Mombasa.
According to Dolan, the Bishop always stood with him during his numerous run-ins with the government.
Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar said Bishop Korir touched many lives.
“We are here to celebrate a man of reconciliation. A man who did his job to ensure that he touched our lives. We want to thank God for bringing Korir to this region. We want to thank the clergy and emulate them by being peace builders. All of us must learn to be peace builders,” said Ms Kamar.
‘Happy days’
Bishop Korir, a diabetic, died on October 30 with reports indicating that he was suffering from high blood pressure.
He will be buried today (Saturday November, 11).
Former Uasin Gishu gubernatorial aspirant Bundotich Buzeki said the bishop never ‘played to the gallery.’ He credited the prevailing peace in the North Rift to the bishop’s initiatives.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang and his Uasin Gishu counterpart Jackson Mandago also eulogised the late Bishop.
“We are pained that we have lost the Bishop. But we celebrate his life. I worked with him closely. We built churches together and opened various parishes. He gave a face to the North Rift. He was there to tell us when we were going in the wrong direction,” said Governor Sang.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said he met the Bishop a month ago at an airport. “He told me how he managed to reconcile the people of Turkana and West Pokot. It was a risky business and he succeeded. The Kenyan people should honour him,” sad Bett.
Peter Masit of Chepkorio in Keiyo South said Bishop Korir was passionate about the plight of physically handicapped children.
“Many small homes for the handicapped were started under his stewardship. Each year he would conduct ‘happy days’ to mobilise financial and material support for the children,” said Masit.
[Additional report by Peter Ochieng and Fred Kibor]
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