Church Leaders in Murang’a Urge National Values, Dialogue and Unity Amid Rising Violence Concerns
Church leaders in Murang’a have urged Kenyans to embrace unity, dialogue and national values amid rising violence concerns, emphasizing the need to nurture both academic and moral development in learning institutions.
Church leaders and education stakeholders during a thanksgiving mass at Kiharu Technical College in Murang’a County, where they called on Kenyans to uphold national values, unity and discipline among learners. Photo/courtesy
Church leaders and education stakeholders in Murang’a County , have asked Kenyans to keep holding on to national values and push unity especially now, with the country seeing more and more violence cases.
They were led by Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Murang’a, James Maria Wainaina, and the leaders denounced the latest killings, saying they clash with the values of cohesion, tolerance, and togetherness, that Kenya keeps pushing as a kind of direction.
This came out during a thanksgiving mass held at Kiharu Technical College in Murang’a County, where the college’s college prayer and service charter was then officially rolled out.
“We need to embrace national values of cohesion, tolerance and unity to shape moral character and strengthen civic responsibility,” Bishop Wainaina said .
He also urged Kenyans to reject every kind of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, femicide, homicide, and other crimes against humanity.
“This will go a long way in upholding respect for life and shunning violence in all its forms ,” he added.
Dialogue in learning institutions
Bishop Wainaina again told school and college administrators to pay more attention to the wellbeing of learners, and to use dialogue as a way of calming down frictions amid rising school unrest.
“We are in very precarious times where learners want to go home, and we have witnessed incidents of school fires. Heads of institutions should listen to learners and act in line with Ministry of Education guidelines” he said
He said parents, teachers, religious leaders, and administrators share the same duty of guiding young people.
“These stakeholders must discharge their duties diligently and without compromise,” he said.
Bishop Wainaina also pointed out that learning institutions should not be only about academic instruction ,they should also nurture discipline and spiritual values among learners.
Academic excellence not enough, says college leadership
Kiharu Technical College Murang’a Director George Njau echoed those thoughts, noting that academic results alone will not be enough if the moral foundation is weak.
“Academic excellence alone is not enough. Spiritual wellbeing in schools helps produce individuals with strong values , integrity and a sense of purpose,” he said.
He added that learners who are morally and spiritually guided tend to be ready to make sound decisions, handle life challenges , and then contribute in a better way to society.
Mr Njau also highlighted the rising interest in technical and vocational education, urging parents to support learners who chase practical skills for work and also entrepreneurship, at the same time.
“Support your children as they seek knowledge and practical skills and guide them accordingly,” he said
Growing institution expanding opportunities
Kiharu Technical College Murang’a was founded in 2014 and has grown steadily, moving from an initial intake of 111 students to more than 3,000 learners currently. The institution also expects over 500 graduates this year, a sign of its widening role in skills development and youth empowerment.
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