Kenyan bishops thank the bishops of Sudan and South Sudan for their message of solidarity

The President of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Philip Anyolo has thanked the bishops of South Sudan and Sudan for their message of solidarity in view of the East Africa nation’s presidential re-run elections on Thursday. In the message signed by the president of the conference, Bishop Edward Hiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio, the bishops of Sudan and South Sudan said they are praying for Kenya and urged  Kenyans to choose the path of peace.

Reacting to the message, Bishop Anyolo, who is also the bishops of Homabay Diocese said, it is a message that Kenyans cannot just close their eyes, ears, and hearts to.

Bishop Anyolo told Fides new service that the Catholic Church in Kenya acknowledges with much appreciation the solidarity message coming from a Church that has experiences of protracted lack of peace. "This is a testimony from brothers and sisters in Christ, who have gone through enormous hardships and sufferings", he said.

In the solidarity message date October 20, Bishop Kussala recalled the painful past South Sudan has experienced since the start of a civil war in the new nation in December 2013.

He said almost four year on, they have not found a solution nor is there one in sight.

Recalling that Kenya welcomes millions of Sudanese refugees, Bishop Kussala wrote: "Kenya is our natural home and will ever be, so we wish her Peace. For this reason we join our voice to yours to call on all Kenyans to choose life over death, peace over violence".

Meanwhile, the head of Kenya’s election board on Wednesday said the repeat presidential elections will proceed as planned on Oct. 26, after a tumultuous day in which a no-show by most Supreme Court judges prevented the hearing of a petition to delay the poll.