Heed Korir’s clarion call for peace and help unite a divided nation

Bishop Cornelius Korir Photo:Courtesy

The death of acclaimed conciliator Bishop Cornelius Korir should be a reminder to the rest of us about how fleeting peace can be.

 The message of hope that he brought wherever he went was in almost all eulogies that were delivered during his burial at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Eldoret.

Ironically, many of the leaders who were present at his burial have been at the forefront of fomenting conflict, allowing their ideology to cloud political discourse and create disharmony among Kenyans.

As has been recounted many times before, Bishop Korir stood for peace and his message resonated well where he served at the Diocese of Eldoret, which was the epicentre of the violence that followed the 2007 presidential elections.

It is quite symbolic that the Bishop was buried in the county where the violence was most pronounced, and not far from where he opened doors of his church to give refuge to thousands of IDPs fleeing the conflict.

Korir’s death comes at a time when conflict looms large again following the divisions aggravated by another presidential election. Because his death has amplified the message of peace, it should be a reminder that there is work to pull the nation back from the brink.

Like the late Bishop, Kenyans must be deliberate about this pursuit. We must not be afraid to buck the trend and preach peace to those pursuing a divisive agenda. There is already some hope among Kenyans.

The church, which had become a discordant voice, is now standing united in its call for peaceful co-existence. It now wants to be allowed to mediate the dialogue over the stand-off between Jubilee and the Opposition National Super Alliance.

This is the way to go. After some soul searching, the church must reclaim its moral authority to mediate over its flock. If it can do this, it will help to forge national unity. Let Bishop Korir’s memory be the moral guide in our endeavour to forestall conflict. This will be a befitting legacy to the late bishop.