CHURCH POSITION

A meeting of bishops expected to give the Roman Catholic Church position on the Proposed Constitution is under way in Nakuru.

The top leadership of the Church, however, remained tight-lipped on their verdict after a section led by John Cardinal Njue campaigned against the Proposed Constitution.

The 24 bishops are meeting at St Mary’s Pastoral Centre for their annual Kenya Episcopal Conference.

The conference, which is the highest decision making organ, will give the Church’s position on the draft at the end of the meeting.

"There is going to be a press conference before Friday but for now we have nothing to say," said Kenya Episcopal Conference Secretary General Vincent Wambugu.

Fr Wambugu said deliberations had started but refused to give more information.

Catholic bishops will on Thursday give the official Stand of the Church on the Proposed Constitution after an ongoing consultative meeting at St Mary’s Pastoral Centre in Nakuru.

Among those attending the meeting are Cardinal Njue and archbishops David Kairu and Zaccheus Okoth, bishops Cornelius Korir, Phillip Sulumeti and Phillip Anyolo.

Others are Bishop Maurice Muhatia and the Pope’s representative in Kenya Apostolic Nuncio Alan Paul Lebeaupin.

Njue has opposed some of the clauses in the Proposed Constitution.

During Easter he insisted the Church would not retract its rejection of Kadhis’ courts and provision on conditional abortion.

What action

"There is definitely something wrong with the document and anyone who watched parliamentary proceedings will agree with me that MPs let the country down," the Cardinal told worshippers at Holy Family Basilica.

The Church is yet to declare what action it would take if the draft were not amended.

But the head of Kisumu Catholic diocese, Archbishop Okoth has said the contentious clauses should not be used to deny Kenyans a new constitution.

Speaking in Kisumu, Okoth expressed optimism that the eight-member committee formed last Thursday during a meeting between State officials and the clergy would provide a way forward.

"The misconception on the abortion clause is about semantics. And this can be rationalised by rephrasing part of the article to change negative meaning," he explained.