Kenyans mark Palm Sunday with calls for peace, stewardship, national unity

Catholics in Mombasa walk in a peaceful procession after Palm Sunday service on March 29, 2026. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Catholic and Anglican faithful across Kenya on Sunday joined millions worldwide in marking Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week.

From Holy Family Basilica to All Saints’ Cathedral, clergy used the day to urge Kenyans toward peace, humility, environmental stewardship and responsible leadership amid growing national challenges.

At Holy Family Basilica, hundreds of worshippers joined a morning procession through central Nairobi, waving palm branches in a symbolic reenactment of the biblical narrative.

Father Michael Ndichu encouraged believers to deepen their prayer, repentance and charity as Holy Week begins.

Across town at All Saints’ Cathedral, clergy reminded Christians that Palm Sunday calls communities to reconciliation and humility.

“The day invites believers to pursue reconciliation where relationships are broken and to choose humility over arrogance, adding that Christ came to serve, not to be served,” Said Provost Evans Omolo.

Catholics in Mombasa walk in a peaceful procession after Palm Sunday service on March 29, 2026. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Provincial Secretary Joseph Galgalo urged Kenyans to uphold compassion amid the country’s hardships, pointing to the impacts of floods, violence and economic pressure.

He said Kenya would be a better place when citizens choose charity, righteousness and kindness.

Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit emphasised the spiritual and civic responsibility symbolised by Palm Sunday, saying the walk was not only an act of remembrance but also a public witness of faith and a reminder of the responsibility to be stewards of God’s creation.

Sapit warned that Kenya faces multiple challenges undermining human dignity, straining the economy and degrading the environment.

“Collapsed buildings, flooding, fires and failing infrastructure are not merely unfortunate events but preventable failures that demand better planning and stricter accountability,” he said, also highlighting the recurring droughts and destructive floods.

He urged improvements in drainage, waste management and protection of vulnerable communities.

The archbishop linked food security to peace and national stability, adding that investment in livelihoods is investment in harmony and human dignity.

With the election season approaching, he cautioned leaders against inflammatory rhetoric, insisting elections must be a time of sober reflection, responsible choice and peaceful transition, and urged them to exercise restraint and speak with wisdom to build unity rather than division.

He further reminded Kenyans that safeguarding the nation requires collective effort.

“The Church, government, private sector and every citizen must work together to protect the gift of creation entrusted to them,” he said

Churches across Kenya called on worshippers to embrace peace, humility and stewardship in a country grappling with environmental, political and economic pressures.