Priest raises concern over 'rampant' contraceptives use

A Catholic priest has raised concern over rampant use of contraceptives.

The cleric linked decreased population in schools and churches to excessive use of the drugs.

Speaking at Muthambi Catholic church during an Annunciation ceremony, Iruma parish Priest Gerald Mugendi said some schools and church catechist classes in the region risked closure for lack of children. He regretted that even Catholic women had embraced contraceptives against the church's teachings.

Mugendi said it was bad for some schools to have less than five pupils in every class while catechist teachers were idle because there were no children.

He said in the next five weeks, members of Catholic Women Association in the region will move from one parish to another campaigning against contraceptives and promoting natural family planning methods.

"Those already under the control measures should terminate and seek for forgiveness of the sin. The least number of children that we will allow in this region is five per family and all women with some birth control devices in their body must remove them and seek forgiveness especially our young girls," he said. The clergy asked politicians in the county to support the campaign saying increase in population would also lead to allocation of more resources by the national government.

Then county's population stands at about 470,000. It receives less than Sh4 billion from Treasury.