Borrow with conscience, not convenience — Archbishop warns as Ruto set for China tour

Archbishop Martin Kivuva of the Mombasa Holy Ghost Cathedral delivers his Easter message./KNA

As President William Ruto is set for a working tour of the People’s Republic of China, Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva of the Mombasa Holy Ghost Cathedral has issued a strong appeal to the government to borrow responsibly.

In his Easter message, Arch. Kivuva urged the government to ensure that the debt ceiling was not exceeded to avoid overburdening the already strained taxpayers.

 “The challenge is who would bear the burden of debts, and the person who will take over the reins of power, the debt burden would be on him,” said Arch. Kivuva.

He further reiterated his calls for political tolerance amid the resurgence of political violence threatening the unity of the country.

“This is not the way a country will grow in peace and harmony; this is not the way we will have justice,” Arch. Kivuva stated.

He blamed self-interest and self-aggrandizement for cases of corruption in the country, vowing to continually talk against the vices.

“If you are a leader, sacrificing yourself should not be for your self-interest, your family and children, or for what you call your constituents. Your constituents are all humanity you’re given to guard, even if it’s not near your home,” he said.

He advised Kenyans to conserve the environment and to help the less fortunate in society.

He also urged the youths to desist from being used by politicians to cause chaos against their rivals.

 The cleric further termed human organ trafficking as unacceptable, saying a person can donate their organ upon demise through a will to be used by patients who want it.

 “As an individual, you can say at the end of my life, when I have passed on and I don’t have life anymore, my heart can be used by somebody else—that is acceptable—or my kidney can be used by somebody else, but deceiving young people is not acceptable,” he said.