Spiritual leaders criticise government

Religious leaders in Kenya have castigated their political leaders warned that although their people are dispirited they are ready to march against corruption. In one of the strongest messages yet from the faith community to Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi told a national prayer rally yesterday that people were concerned enough to rise up and march against them. Backed by other spiritual leaders, Muslim and Christian, Archbishop Nzimbi said Kenyans were "embarrassed and bitter" with their leadership and accused the coalition government appointed in 2008, of failing to end corruption, build natikonal confidence and unite its people. "For 45 years the people have yearned for a better tomorrow," added Rev. Peter Karanja, General Secretary of Kenya's National Council of Churches. "They have dreamt of leaders who will inspire them to overcome poverty, disease, ignorance and bad governance. "Every regime that has been sworn in has been greeted with enthusiasm and expectation. But hope has often turned into disillusionment." President Kibaki and the Prime Minister were present at the prayer rally at the Kenyatt Conference Centre, which was called by the government after a supermarket fire in Nairobi and a fuel tanker blaze in Sachang'wan, western Kenya, killed 160 people and left many others badly burned. He dismissed the claims made by the spiritual leaders telling them not to apportion blame but to help build Kenya. Earlier government minister Naomi Shaban had said all people, including the religious leaders, were to blame for the state of affairs.