Browsing by Author "Kiyua, Simon"

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Democratization Process in Kenya "The Role of the Church"
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Kiyua, Simon
The world today has become like a global village. Ideas are spreading like a flash of light from one corner of the world to another. This is probably what the Rev. Timothy Njoya of the Presbytarian Church of East Africa had in mind when he challenged the Kenyan government in 1990 to read the signs of the times and accede to change. According to Njoya, the wind of change had blown all over the world; tyrannical, dictatorial and autocratic institutions were collapsing and democracy was replacing them.' That wind of change has reached Africa in general and Kenya in particular but its effects has not yet been realized. The choice of this topic came out of a deep reflection on the problems afflicting Kenyans today. For example, some people are living in destitute poverty while others are living in luxury; institutions like families are breaking down, hospitals have no medicines. Looking at the above examples, a pastoral agent feels compelled to tackle seriously and analytically the issue of Democracy. If the culture of Democracy permeated into peoples' lives then life in Kenya would have been better than it is today. As future minister, there is a need of studying thoroughly and educating and empowering people so that they can know well what their rights and duties are as citizens. The issue at hand is how Kenyans can live together harmoniously whereby each one regards the other as a brother or a sister in Jesus Christ. This is our dream and we hope that it will be realized. 'Timothy To achieve this goal, I have used secondary sources like books, journals, magazines, newspapers plus my personal experiences as a pastoral agent and a Kenyan citizen. Kenya's history of liberation can be viewed in two phases i.e. liberation from the colonial masters and liberation from tyrannical leadership of one party rule to multiparty governance. The first chapter aims at tracing historically, how democracy has been lived in Kenya and whether true democracy reigns in Kenya. The Church that was founded by Christ is an Eschatological community. This implies that it has as its primary role as the proclamation of God's kingdom here on earth and all that entails to it. In order to be successful in her mission, the Church should engage herself seriously with the transformation of society into a good social order where God's kingdom is fully manifested. Authentic transformation is only possible if the Church announces the Good News and denounces the evil that is inherent in the society. However, if the Church wants her teaching to be a challenge to the society in which she is living, she has to start by radically examining herself so that she can be a model of emulation by the society. The second chapter attempts to discuss the role of the Church in the democratisation process in Kenya plus an analysis on some incidences where the Church has appeared undemocratic in her historical development. Both the Church and the Political community are institutions that exist for the common good of the human person. The two should operate in a smooth but not in an antagonistic manner. The former should act as an adviser to the latter, in matters of human rights. The Church should stand for the truth and therefore should never affiliate herself to any political party. In the third chapter, we are going to look at the relationship between the Church and the State and the involvement of the Church in politics. The Greek Philosopher, Socrates commented that unreflected life is not worthy living. If a theologian does theology without having recourse to the life of the people, his or her theology is naive and according to the thinking of the liberation theologians, genuine theology is the one that arises out of deep compassion and critical reflection on the situation of the poor and the oppressed . In the fourth chapter, we are going to look at how theology can be used as a tool of transformation of the current state of affairs so that genuine democracy can thrive in Kenya.