NAIROBI (LifeSiteNews) – The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has called for a constitutional amendment to override the Supreme Court ruling on the official recognition of the LGBT movement in their country.
In a statement released to the media on April 20, KCCB Chair Archbishop Martin Musonde Kivuva called on the government to revise the constitution rather than petition the recent ruling.
“Dear Kenyans, as you are all aware, we challenged the ruling of the Supreme Court of Kenya on 24th February 2023 allowing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Queer (LGBTQ) people the right to form and register associations in Kenya to push for their interests,” the statement said.
The Catholic bishops repeated their view that the Supreme Court ruling was based on an erroneous interpretation of the clauses on the freedom of association (Art. 36,1) which affects the sacred values of marriage and family as enshrined in the Constitution. “We, therefore, call for a constitutional amendment to strengthen our cultural and religious values on marriage and family which are to be protected by the supreme law of the land,” the bishops said in the statement read by Archbishop Kivuva.
The Kenyan bishops also called on the government and opposition party to consider toning down their political rivalry for the sake of the citizens who are suffering because of a lack of basic needs.
“During our week-long meeting, we have taken stock and reflected deeply on the worrying state of our nation, particularly on the political and economic situation prevailing in the country in the post-2022 General Elections period,” Archbishop Anthony Muheria said in a statement on behalf of the bishops.
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The Catholic bishops also asked the government to consider key issues disrupting the peace and unity of the country six months after the general elections.
“Dear Kenyans, after what we all hailed as the most peaceful elections in the history of our country, and following the calm that we experienced before, during, and after the elections, six months down the line, we expect the Government to be on course in fulfilling the promises in its manifesto. This requires a conducive environment,” said Archbishop Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo of the Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The bishops also noted that the political anxiety and the destructive demonstrations that the country has recently experienced do not portend well for the peace and prosperity of the nation.
“As Kenyans, we all breathed a sigh of relief when His Excellency President William Ruto and the Former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga agreed to embrace dialogue through a Parliamentary Bipartisan Process, and we saw this as a true mark of leadership and patriotism shown by leaders who love this country, patriots who feel for the suffering Kenyans struck by poverty and drought and who are sick of endless political bickering. We applaud and appreciate the goodwill demonstrated by these two leaders,’ they added.
The bishops concluded by encouraging the citizens to remain strong and prayerful.
“Please be encouraged by the word of God in Isaiah 43:2: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze’.”
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