Uhuru: Govt will work with church

BY LORDRICK MAYABI

Facebook

Email

Print

null 1/1 NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 3- Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has assured the church that the government will stand behind it in its development and peace building agenda. Mr Kenyatta who was speaking during the consecration of the new archbishop of the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) Evanson Ndung’u, also heaped praise on the AIPCA for being the only church that played an active role in the struggle for Kenya’s independence. “We will continue to stand with the church in its development agenda. When the church makes hospitals, health centers, schools it is the responsibility of us leaders to stand by them,” he asserted. “We cannot forget that this is the only church that participated in the struggle for our independence,” he added. The DPM lauded the AIPCA church for electing their leaders openly and peacefully. He called on the new leadership of the church and its followers to promote unity within it. “We have seen a peaceful and transparent election and handover of office to the new Archbishop, we want to see continued unity among church leaders,” he said The new Archbishop was elected to the helm of the AIPCA after his predecessor Dr Samson Mwangi Gaitho voluntarily stepped down on health grounds. Archbishop Ndung’u commended his outgoing counterpart for having led the church to great heights. “Dr Samson Mwangi Gaitho is my hero, my mentor, he has fought many battles to get this church where it is,” he said. Archbishop Ndungu pledged to work with his fellow clergymen and be more proactive in helping the church fight social evils. “There are very many people out in the desert of hunger, unemployment, corruption, poverty and hatred,” he said.  “I invite Archdeacons, Bishops, pastors and my fellow clergymen to lead the congregations out of the desert to the promised land,” he added. Dr Samson Mwangi Gaitho in a statement read on his behalf, due to his ill health said that he intended to set a good example to other church leaders by voluntarily stepping aside. -“I have always longed for this day; I wanted to demonstrate to African leaders that it is possible for an incumbent leader to step down of his position,” the statement read. “I had done all I could do to change the face of our church,” the statement further stated. The enthronement ceremony which took place at the Nyayo National Stadium was also attended by Ministers Esther Murugi, Anyan’g Nyong’o and Assistant Minister Ferdinand Watitu.

Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Uhuru%3A-Govt-will-work-with-church-13447.html#ixzz1R3ske5og
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives