Stop misusing the poor, dialogue, Catholic leaders tell the polster Sunday was marked in Kisii with calls for political tolerance following recent anti-government protests by the Azimio leader Raila Odinga. .
Catholic head Bishop John Mairura said dialogue holds the key to charting a solid political path for the country away from violent demonstrations. .
Africa, said Mairura in a homily delivered at St Charles Lwanga Mwembe Cathedral, was still democratically young enough for peaceful protests
He said many protests often end with bloodshed because of looting and vandalism.
“We still have large swathes of people who live below a dollar day and who are ready to loot whether there are security agents or not” Mairura told the hundreds of the faithful who turned up to mark the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb after the crucifixion in Gethsemane.
Easter, Latin Pascha, is principally a Christian festival celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion.
Theological and historical anecdotes say the first of observanc of Easter may had occurred in the 2nd century.
For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful conclusion to the Lenten season of devoted prayer, fasting and penitence.
In Kisii, the celebration were largely low key with most streets full of traders eking a living to battle inflation.
At the Cathedral, Mairura told the political elite to stop misusing the poor masses to achieve their selfish ends.
“We cannot end our problems by dragging the have nots to the streets when we have other options of dealing with them,”,stated the cleric.
He said Easter continues to be instrumental in energizing Christians through prayer and fasting.
And speaking at Bobaracho Catholic Church, Kisii University Chaplain Lawrence Nyaanga asked the youth to desist from harmful influence of drugs and alcohol.
He said most youths were already living wasteful lives because of intemperance.