Anglican church backs BBI, seeks active role in people-centred awareness fora

The Anglican Church has thrown its weight behind the Building Bridges Initiative, a decision revealed Tuesday when ODM leader, Raila Odinga, with the Most Reverend Justin Welby – the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is visiting the country.

Also in attendance was the head of the ACK church in Kenya Bishop Jackson ole Sapit, accompanied by other senior ACK clergy.

The leaders discussed the political environment in the country, with particular focus on the Building Bridges Initiative and the working relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Odinga.

The Archbishop of Canterbury described the BBI report as “a remarkable document that can be used to “change the ethos and culture of the country.”

The top Anglican leaders described the “handshake” between President Kenyatta and Odinga, which gave birth to the BBI as “real statesmanship” with a “powerful transformational force.”

“A year before the 2017 elections, I had told the President that this country would be much better the day he and Mr. Odinga step back and agree to work together,” said Bishop Sapit.

“It was the wish of the Anglican Church that the two work together. As a Church, we thank God that our prayers were answered and we remain convinced that posterity will remember the two positively.”

Odinga briefed the church leaders on the journey to the working relationship with the president, the setting up of the BBI team and the on-going steps to involve more people in the preparation of the final document.

They discussed how to work with the church to help provide public education on the report in a non-partisan, non-political way.

Archbishop Welby noted that the bulk of the BBI report focuses on addressing socio-economic inequality as the source of the tensions and anger experienced in the country and appealed to Kenyans not to lose focus of those.

“There has been some focus on positions being created but we see that as part of the wider effort to create opportunity for more communities to come to the negotiating table and deal with imbalances,” the Archbishop said.

“The BBI takes this positive route. The country should feel proud of what it has achieved.”

He asked the country’s wider leadership to establish ways that will enable the church to take up the role of highlighting the good things in the document, praising Kenyans for embarking on the harder but more reliable path to unity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the leader of the church in Kenya later met with Deputy President William Ruto, the visiting Archbishop saying it was a good “attempt to create a positive vision for Kenya”, while his Kenyan counterpart Ole Sapit observing “if it becomes a political rallies’ document we lose it”. 

Archbishop Welby said he had taken note of the BBI’s objective of finding solutions to Kenyans problem.

“Allow everyone to be heard in the process. It should not be mostly leaders bringing up an idea. This is a problem we face throughout the world. I find it easier to allow all shades of opinions,” said Welby, adding he was fascinated with the report because it sets out to address social economic problems facing the people.

He said addressing issues of tribalism and creating a new culture and a new agenda for the country was good for the people.

“We should have a people centred approach… The church just wanted to see the prosperity of the country and wasn’t taking sides on the matter,” Ole Sapit said.

He wondered how views of the people were being collected in political rallies.

Ruto said all Kenyans should be allowed to participate and give their views to enrich the document, asking politicians not to ignore contributions by Kenyans because divergent views does more to enrich the document and does not constitute opposition to the report.

“There is a temptation to think that a different or contrary view is opposition. I believe accommodating alternative views allows an all-inclusive process that enriches the document,” averred the DP, maintaining he would resist any attempt to create political camps or “us versus them” in the process.

“We should create space for all to prosecute their viewpoints. No viewpoint is inferior.”