Bishops announce launch of countrywide anti-graft campaign

From left- Bishop Alfred Rotich Nyeri Catholic Archdiocese Archbishop Anthony Muheria, Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill Otieno and Kakamega Catholic Bishop Joseph Obanyi addressing press. [Edward Kiplimo/Standard]

The Catholic Church will next month roll out a nationwide campaign to fight corruption.

The campaign, dubbed "Breaking the Chains of Corruption" will be launched at the National Shrine in Subukia, Nakuru, on October 5, by all the country's Catholic bishops.

It will be conducted in close collaboration with the media. 

According to Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria, the initiative will be the church's contribution to the fight against corruption and will, among other things, press for swift action in handling of graft cases.

Media houses

Yesterday, the bishops held a meeting with editors from various media houses at Silver Springs Hotel, Hurlingham, to discuss how to collaborate in the anti-corruption initiative.

According to Archbishop Muheria, the closed-door meeting with the editors was meant to discuss various aspects of the campaign and how to sustain its momentum.

“We wished to have that interaction with the editors to explain to them the details of what we intend to do,” said Muheria during their meeting with Kenya Editors Guild yesterday.

The guild's chair Churchill Otieno said the meeting was informative.

“The bishops have met with editors from various media houses to explain the initiative and the action we are to undertake in the fight against corruption,” said Mr Otieno.

The meeting was also used as a platform to review the media and church’s role in curbing the vice that has led to the loss of billions of tax payer's money.

“The anti-corruption initiative will be launched by all the bishops at Subukia Shrine to make a public commitment, as bishops and faithful, and Kenyan citizens to fight this vice,” said Muheria.

The bishops said fighting corruption required individual effort, and called for every Kenyan to be accountable and committed.

They said the campaign would be a call to the conscience of all Kenyans to stand up and deal with corruption.