KENYA: Bishop Wainaina: Continue Sharing Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic

Chairman for The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB)-Council for Economic Affairs Rt. Rev. James Maria Wainaina has called on Kenyans to continue sharing the dwindling resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presiding over the Mass at the Holy Family Minor Basilica in the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Bishop Wainaina warned that this is not the time to seek to make unreasonably high profits, but to make sacrifices for the benefit of others.

“We need to remind ourselves of the need to continue sharing our dwindling resources in a just and equitable manner. St. Paul exhorts us to bear each other’s burdens (cf. Gal. 6:2),” he said.

Bishop Winaina who is the Ordinary for the Diocese of Muranga called on property owners, employers, business persons including those in social and political spheres to be honest in order to accommodate and benefit one another.

“The landlords must be ready to negotiate and agree on a way-forward with their tenants, business people with their customers, service providers with beneficiaries of their services, and employers with their employees. There is life beyond COVID-19. The tendency to turn calamities into opportunities for self-enrichment or to exploit others is abhorrent and must be condemned,” he said.

While lauding President Uhuru Kenyatta and Kenya Government for unveiling the economic stimulus package, he appealed for expeditious pay of all genuine suppliers and urgent settlement of money owed by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to faith-based health facilities to enable them continue rendering the much-needed services, in addition to waiving taxes on health service items and other hospital consumables related to COVID-19.

“Since the ‘new normal’ is now characterized by facemasks, PPE’s, hand-sanitizers, hand-washing soaps, cleaning detergents, we call upon our Government to consider waiving taxes on these items and others like ambulances,” he said.

In order to overcome negative effects Covid-19 pandemic, he called on the people to remain united at all levels: in the family, in social life, among all religious faiths, and even at the level of political leadership.

 Bishop Wainaina said, problems due to Coronavirus must not bring strife among people, but should be a cause to reason together with understanding.

“Let us make our families the last fortress against Covid-19.  The Holy Family of Nazareth is always the model,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to all those who have given generously for the alleviation of suffering due to COVID-19 pandemic