Kenya's Archbishops Appeal for Peace after Deadly Clashes

Catholic and Anglican Church leaders in Kenya have called on the country's government to stop the recent spate of killings in the Mount Elgon district.

Six people were killed at the weekend in the Mount Elgon district in Kenya's Western Province as violent clashes broke out over land settlements. The attacks have been blamed on a group calling itself the Sabaot Land Defence Force.

The Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, the Most Rev Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki, called on Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki to sack Internal Security minister John Michuki for his failure to halt the violence, Nairobi's East African Standard newspaper reports.

"In my opinion, Mr Michuki should go there and come back and tell us what he has seen. If he does not, apigwe kalamu (let him be sacked)," Archbishop a'Nzeki told hundreds of worshippers who were gathered at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi for Easter prayers.

At the All Saints Cathedral, meanwhile, Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi condemned the lawlessness and killings in the Mount Elgon district, calling for peace and a quick response from political leaders.

But even as the clergymen spoke, further skirmishes broke out in the Tana River area leaving three dead and prompting hundreds of villagers to flee their homes.

General elections in Kenya are becoming synonymous with violence and unrest and much of the condemnation this time has been directed at Michuki.

In his Easter sermon, Archbishop Nzimbi said the clashes were politically-instigated. He prayed: "The resurrection of Christ gives us [a] hope and encouragement we should also share with the unfortunate in society to encourage them.

"The president and all leaders need encouragement. We should also remember the suffering in Kuresoi and Marsabit, which has never known undisturbed peace," he said in his message to Kenyans as he called on politicians and the public to seize the Easter mood and reach out to victims of the clashes.

Christians across Kenya packed into churches to mark an Easter Sunday dominated by prayers for peace in the conflict-rife Mount Elgon district.

Archbishop Ndingi demanded that Michuki visit the trouble area or else face the sack.
Calls for Michuki's sacking have also come from 13 Rift Valley MPs who said the security minister "was not doing anything".

"Michuki is busy recruiting provincial administrators to campaign for Narc-Kenya, and the death of 150 people and destruction of property does not seem anything to him," they said.

The clashes in the Mount Elgon district have left at least 137 people dead, while around 45,000 people have been displaced from their homes.