Nakuru — Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi has urged the church to be key drivers of peace in the country and support the government's initiative of uniting Kenyans.
Mudavadi said that the church plays a critical role in society and should be a reflection of the country in terms of stability and prosperity in all spheres of life.
He made the remarks, even as he cautioned Kenyans to be on the look out over rising cases of false prophets and preachers, whom many innocent people have fallen victim to.
Mudavadi said false pretenders of the word have caused havoc both locally and internationally.
"Innocent people have surrendered their health and wealth to people who have done totally nothing in helping them acquire the wealth. It defeats logic, when someone like a professor or doctor or an educated person surrenders all his/her years of work, abandons his/her family and follow a false prophet who has never even been in class one," regretted Mudavadi.
He urged the church to assist the government identifying rogue pastors and bring them to book as they are tarnishing the good name of the Church.
At the same time, Mudavadi said that the current unrest being witnessed in some regions of Africa calls for collective efforts, with the church at the forefront in seeking lasting solutions to conflicts.
"We all know what is happening in various parts of Africa like what has befallen Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Africa is grappling with a myriad violent, economic and political conflicts day in day out. The church must stand out and be counted among entities that are helping restore calmness and tranquility." said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi made the remarks during the 2023 World Conference of Friends Church (Quakers) being held at Kabarak University in Nakuru.
He said Africa is awash with mercenaries fighting proxy international wars that need the intervention by the Church of Friends.
"'You must have heard of countries straddling over Africa natural resources and at the same time, the global dynamics are changing very fast and within Africa itself and within various countries we hear of communities fighting of natural resources. The Church must stand out and be counted," he said.
"Personally, I was involved in restoring peace in Kenya within the Serena talks arrangement under the then UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, Madam Graca Machel and Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa back in 2007/2008 when Kenya was in turmoil," Mudavai added.
The PCS further acknowledged efforts being undertaken to integrate peace curriculum in the Kenyan education curriculum.
He said this will play a pivotal role because it involves inculcating the aspect of peace building and unity an early age.
Mudavadi also urged the church to be an example in emulating humility as a virtue within the society.
He said leadership in many parts of Africa has been misconceived to self-gratification and amassing of wealth without hard work.
Cautioning that if the church does not speak on such matters, Mudavadi observd that the society will continue to vanquish in vices that will end up eroding the moral fabric of the society and nations will collapse.
"Leaders in Africa need humility in large doses; especially when leaders refuse to leave power when their terms expire or refuse to accept defeat after democratic elections. This is an area that needs deeper reflection with the church being called upon to lead by walking the talk," said Mudavadi.
"It is mainly in Africa, where integrity is a choice. This is when corruption is embedded as a virtual in governance, rather than a plague to be vanquished. This must change," added Mudavadi.
Mudavadi called on the religious institutions offering theological courses to scale them up with other skill-based courses, in a bid to produce all round graduates that will help in boosting the country's economy.
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He said men and women of the cloth also need additional skills that will not only help them be self-reliant and earn a living from an additional career but it will also be an eye opener to the society that they are leading by example.
"I will not mind seeing my pastor doubling up as an agricultural officer, a nurse, a mechanic, an ICT trainer or any other profession. So that apart from passing the work to the congregants, they can also pass skills and help nurture talent and be part of key players in turning around our economy," pointed out Mudavadi.
"As a country we are facing a crisis of unemployment of up to about 7 million young men and women, who have been schooled but there are no jobs. The church should support the government in figuring out what we should do to sort out this problem collectively." paused Mudavadi.
This years' World of Friends Church 2023 is the first to be held in Africa, running under the theme "Come, Abide and Go ".
