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HEADLINE NEWS..:
Pontiff: Poverty and slums caused by land grabbing
Pope in Kenya
PHOTO:Pope Francis blesses the crowd at St Joseph the Worker Church, Kangemi, upon his arrival on November 27, 2015. The Pope said the faceless growth of urbanisation and the pursuit of symbols of exclusive economic growth such as vibrant stock markets were crude music to the ears of the poor. PHOTO | TON
 

By:
OUMA WANZALA

Posted:
Nov,29-2015 16:35:20
 
Pope Francis on Friday wound up his three-day visit by condemning greed that he said had driven millions of Kenyans into hopelessness and poverty.

The Pope urged the government to reverse the injustice.

He was critical of those who amass wealth at the expense of others, private developers who deny children playgrounds and leaders who cling to power to protect their ill-gotten wealth.

The 78-year-old threw barbs at the very tenets of capitalism, which have driven millions to crowded slums with no toilets, clean water sewers, electricity, roads, schools or hospitals.

"These are wounds inflicted by minorities who cling to power and wealth, who selfishly squander while a growing majority is forced to flee to abandoned, filthy and run-down peripheries," he said.

Pope Francis said the faceless growth of urbanisation and the pursuit of symbols of exclusive economic growth such as vibrant stock markets were crude music to the ears of the poor.

The former archbishop of Buenos Aires, one of the largest cities in the developing world, spoke at St Joseph the Worker Church in Kangemi, Nairobi where he joined the poor whom he has identified in his papacy.

"I feel very much at home sharing these moments with brothers and sisters who, and I am not ashamed of this, have a special place in my life and decisions."

Pope Francis was welcomed by Archbishop Martin Kivuva of Mombasa, Sister Mary Killeen who is the director of Mukuru Promotion Centre, and Ms Pamella Akwede, a resident.

Ms Akwede said that even though 55 per cent of Nairobi’s residents live in slums, they only occupied five per cent of the city’s land.

"This can be attributed to failure by the state to build low-cost houses, leading to absentee landlords taking advantage of the poor and charging high rates," she said.

Pope Francis said the government owed the poor a debt for failing to provide them with clean water, recreational facilities and sports centres.

Archbishop Kivuva urged authorities to come up with projects to help slum dwellers.

"The families seated here, know by experience, what it means to lack yet their hearts are 'big' enough to give. Above all, they know how to live by faith and hope," he said.

Ms Killeen listed evictions, threats, outbreak of fires, floods, insecurity, addiction to alcohol, land grabbing, corruption, lack of public services as the challenges that people in slums face.

The Pontiff later addressed thousands of jubilant youth at the Kasarani Stadium.

Source:
Nation