Let us talk to the faith leaders; They will listen - eventually...

In one of the listserv someone posted this message: ‘If I got HIV facts on anal sex and safe sex at 17, I would not have turned HIV+.’ It got me thinking - I do not know how it is like to be a teenager in today’s world, but one thing I know is we shall not get anywhere in our health and human rights struggle without talking to faith leaders – and in a language they understand or relate to. 

True the faith leaders too, have to “read the signs of the times” and speak in a language the people of today can understand or relate to. Indeed I came across this article that is urging faith leaders and their nemesis in America to do pretty much that. – Entitled Religious Liberty and the Culture Wars, the full article is available here... http://illinoislawreview.org/wp-content/ilr-content/articles/2014/3/Laycock.pdf

 

But someone has to take the first step – I think we can do that. We can translate our daily struggles into stories – perhaps even look for parallels in the books of scripture. For example, look at this guy in this video clip being beaten up – https://www.facebook.com/peter.bagaka/videos/10152786528396173/?pnref=story does it not resonate with a famous story in the Bible – and perhaps other Scriptures (Koran, Gitta etc)? 

It takes humility to wait for your turn to speak – and when the door is relentlessly banged against your face, it takes even greater humility and patience. But like that story in the Bible, Luke 11:5-13 where the fellow is repeatedly told “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.....” 

This story might well be relevant to both the faith leaders, - that we will be relentless about asking for them to listen to our story – our perspective; but also to us – that if the faith leaders do not listen because our story is interesting or our perspective relevant, then it will be out of inconveniencing persistence.... (And an additional way to make our persistence inconveniencing is to use stories and language that is familiar to them).

For the sake of the teenagers growing up during these difficult times – many of whom may be related to us either directly or as they say, ‘families of choice’ let us do it!

Why Impeach Deputy President William Ruto.

The 2010 constitution is a game changer and there are many in power will do anything to undermine its implementation. One of the most remarkable provisions is to be found in article 1, which holds that - All sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and shall be exercised only in accordance with this Constitution. In this country citizens do not exist at the pleasure of the government or those who hold power. In fact it is those in power who continue to be in government at the pleasure of the people of Kenya. 

The constitution has created opportunity for any Kenyan who strongly feels that a holder of public office should be relieved of that responsibility to seek for such to be done. In the case of Deputy President, this is what the constitution says: 150. (1) The Deputy President may be removed from office: (b) on impeachment- (i) on the ground of a gross violation of a provision of this Constitution or any other law;

We have reason to believe that the deputy president has severally violated provisions of the Kenya constitution, which holds in article 8 that: There shall be no State religion. The constitution also has the following provisions:

2. (1) This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic and binds all persons and all State organs at both levels of government.

(2) No person may claim or exercise State authority except as authorised under this Constitution.

3. (1) every person has an obligation to respect, uphold and defend this Constitution.

We believe that the Deputy President repeatedly violates the constitution when he says that Kenya is “is a God fearing nation” and that Kenyan citizens who are gay should “look for other countries.” By calling for the stripping of citizenship of Kenyans who happen to be gay and want their constitutionally guaranteed rights respected, the Deputy President violates the provision of the constitution on citizenship which provides in article 13. (1) Every person who was a citizen immediately before the effective date retains the same citizenship status as of that date; and being gay or advocating for the basic human rights of people who are gay, is not one of the grounds for loss of citizenship.

We therefore call on all Kenyans of good will to join hands together and do the right thing - defend our constitution as obligated in article 3 (1);  and start impeachment proceedings against our beloved, but holy Deputy President William Ruto.