Kenyan bishops tell citizens to elect honest candidates

Published: 2007-08-17

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) -- Kenya's bishops, saying the country's future was at stake, have advised citizens to vote for candidates with a track record of honesty in the December general elections. They also expressed concern that corruption was still a major issue in the government of President Mwai Kibaki, who plans to seek re-election. "There have been many complaints that when looking for employment, it is not how qualified you are, but who you know and the ethnic group to which you belong," the bishops said in the eight-page pastoral letter, titled "Love God and Love Your Neighbor." "If a corrupt person is elected to the Parliament, the cycle of deprivation and abuse of office would be prolonged and the moral fiber of the nation would continue to erode," the bishops said.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .