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Meru , June 24, 2007

First Lady Mrs. Lucy Kibaki acknowledge greetings from the congregation after attending a sunday mass at the St. Joseph Cathedral Parish in Meru where she also helped raise funds.

First Lady Mrs. Lucy Kibaki has said that there is need for a vigorous drive towards moral and spiritual regeneration in the country.

She called on Kenyans to turn to God and join hands in building a society that is God-fearing and that obeys the teachings of the different religions that they profess.

Noting that churches and other religious organizations were best placed to spearhead this regeneration, Mrs. Kibaki urged all religious organizations in the country to aggressively reach out to all Kenyans and encourage them to adhere to the teachings of Holy Scriptures and to uphold sound moral principles.

The First Lady was speaking at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral Parish, Meru, where she joined Christians for prayer and fundraising for a modern Father’s house. She gave shs. 800,000/- at the fundraiser.

She observed that in spite of the dedicated efforts of religious organizations to preaching the word of God, the country continues to face challenges that relate to failure to obey religious teachings.

Said she, “To appreciate the need for moral and spiritual regeneration in the country, it is important to note that many of the problems afflicting the society today were the result of failure to abide by scriptural teachings.”

She pointed out for example that HIV/AIDS would not be the tragedy that it is today if Kenyans adhered to religious teachings.

Mrs Kibaki condemned the keeping of multiple sexual partners, adultery, casual sexual encounters and temporary liaisons, saying for those who profess Christianity, the Bible teaches that sexual activity should take place under the principle of one man – one woman within the context of marriage and for purposes of procreation.

The First Lady said sexual relationships that deviate from God’s intention are the very behaviors that have largely contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

“As a result of the failure to obey God’s teachings, we have lost many of our loved ones to the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” she lamented.

She called on Kenyans to abstain from casual sex noting that besides those who have been lost, it is sad to note that 6 per cent of our population is infected. Similarly, she added, of the 2 million orphans in the country, 1.2 million have been rendered orphans by HIV/AIDS.

Said the First Lady, “I wish to remind Kenyans that the danger of HIV/AIDS remains very real. Indeed, the prevalence rate currently stands at 5 per cent. I, therefore, urge the young and old, to turn to God, to be prayerful and to obey the teachings of Holy Scriptures.”

Mrs. Kibaki at the same time decried the many cases of violence in the society, saying violence against women and children, inter-communal conflicts and violent activities by organized gangs are indications of moral and spiritual depravity.

The First Lady asked Kenyans to embrace and cultivate the religious values of love, patience, tolerance, forgiveness as well as peace and reconciliation, adding these virtues are the cure for violence without which the nation cannot be at peace with itself.

Noting that religious leaders had a critical role to play in this effort, Mrs Kibaki urged religious organizations to address the high incidence of domestic violence that is perpetrated against women and children.

She particularly urged all religious organizations to speak out strongly against child abuse and take deliberate steps to sensitize members of society on issues of child trafficking, child labour and legislations that relate to the protection of children.

“There is need to focus on teachings that will strengthen the family unit as the foundation of the moral consciousness of a caring society. Stronger families make better communities and a moral nation,” she stated.

Equally important, she added, was the need for religious organizations to speak up against immorality among the young people.

Noting that young people were being increasingly exposed to negative influences through the media, Mrs. Kibaki expressed concern that media images that present immoral conduct as fashionable were exposing the youth to the dangers of HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and crime.

Said the First Lady, “There is, therefore, great need for religious organizations to teach the youth, in word and deed, that immoral lifestyle is not Godly and will lead to self-destruction.”

She also called upon parents to mould their children into upright and moral individuals and teach them to obey God at an early age.

Once again, the First Lady urged Kenyans to continue supporting the government in its efforts to build the country.

She noted that since assenting to power President Kibaki’s government has continued to create a conducive environment for economic growth.

She therefore called on Kenyans to ignore politicians who are roaming the country spreading propaganda to the contrary.

Said the first Lady, “its clear to everyone that Kenya’s economy is growing and its leading in the East Africa region this a fact even confirmed by the world bank report.”

Mrs. Kibaki urged wananchi in Meru to be steadfast in their support for the government and avoid being carried away by political euphoria likely to arise in the run-up to the general elections.

She told them to ignore empty rhetoric and continue supporting the government and President Kibaki who is keen to uplift the living standards of Kenyans.

The First Lady thanked the Meru for supporting the government of the day and urged them to continue doing so for the betterment of their community and the country at large.

Earlier she attended Sunday mass at the church where the sermon was delivered by Father Vassiniu Nyagi who is the vicar general of the church.

The First lady lauded parishioners at the Joseph’s Cathedral and the catholic diocese of Meru for their dedication to strengthening the calling of the church, Meru for the remarkable work they have done in the areas of education, medical care and service to orphans, the blind, the disabled and the elderly.

During the function, a total of shs. 3,280,922 was raised with the local MP David Mwiraria donating shs. 120,000 while the congregation gave shs 2,073,692.