He fought the good fight; he kept the faith

As Kenya mourned two prominent politicians, a key member of the clergy known for fighting for religious freedom, justice, peace and democracy passed on quietly.

Retired Anglican Church of Kenya’s Bishop Eliud Okiring died on February 21, the same day Environment minister John Michuki died.

Former Defence minister Njenga Karume, who was buried last weekend, also died around the same time.

Bishop Okiring, who led a fierce struggle for the creation of a diocese for his people, died in a Nairobi hospital. He will be buried on Saturday at St Mark’s, Hoito church in Mt Elgon District.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bishop Okiring led more than 70 elderly faithful on a hunger strike in Nairobi to push for the formation of the Katakwa Diocese from Nambale Diocese.

Others who joined them included Katakwa Bishop Zakayo Iteba Epus, clergymen Josiah Okere (now deceased), Moses Ote, Timothy Akwara and Joyce Emodo.

In past interviews, Bishop Okiring said the battle was ignited by abusive and dismissive language used against the Iteso by their “Luhya brothers and sisters in Christ” in the diocese.

When the struggle started, Okiring was the ACK Mt Elgon archdeacon, while Isaac Namango, who died in 2009, was the bishop of Nambale Diocese.

The Iteso by then had their own Bible and hymn books, and wanted a diocese of their own.

The height of the struggle was between 1986 and 1991 when the Katakwa faithful camped at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi and went on a hunger strike.

For seven days, the group, composed mainly of the elderly, pitched camp at the Nairobi residence of Archbishop Manasses Kuria and pressured him to grant Katakwa its own diocese.

The actions forced the late Kuria to appoint two commissions, one headed by former ACK Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, to sort out the problem.

The Nzimbi Commission failed to resolve the dispute, forcing Archbishop Kuria to form the Njuguna Commission, which succeeded in unlocking the dispute.

The Katakwa Diocese was finally carved out of Nambale in 1991. Bishop Okiring was the first bishop to lead the see. He retired in 2006 and was replaced by Bishop Epus.

Early this week, former Attorney General Amos Wako, who is an ACK member, said although he was not in government during the fight for the secession of Katakwa, he supported the Iteso cause.

“The fight was good. It enriched ACK, leading to a number of new dioceses being opened,” Mr Wako said. ACK had nine dioceses in 1986, which increased to 21 in 1993 and 24 in 1996. There are now 30 ACK sees.

Former assistant minister Albert Ekirapa, who supported the Okiring group, said the decision for Katakwa to secede was difficult to make.

“The clergy in parts of Western felt discriminated,” Mr Ekirapa said and paid tribute to Archbishops Kuria and Nzimbi for giving food and water to those who camped at the All Saints Cathedral.

Bishop Epus said Bishop Okiring had chosen to be buried in Hoito. He said Katakwa Christians fought for freedom of evangelism, recalling that the issue of representation at the electoral college was also a burning one as the Katakwa and Mt Elgon archdeacons had only one representative instead of two.

Mr Akwara said Bishop Okiring will be remembered for championing reforms in the Anglican Church.

Bishop Charles Obaikol from Soroti in Uganda said Bishop Okiring “gave the right judgment in time of confusion and brought peace in many areas.”

Mr Evans Achoki, a deputy secretary in the Office of the President, who served with the late Okiring in a taskforce formed by the government to search for peace in Mt Elgon, said the departed cleric was impartial.

“He was the pillar of the taskforce. He could speak fluently in all languages in the region,” Mr Achoki said.

Retired ACK Bishop Peter Njoka said the fight for Katakwa was noble and that Bishop Okiring was focused.

ACK Archbishop Eliud Wabukhala, who once worked under Bishop Okiring in Mt Elgon, said the fallen cleric was an inspiration “to us to do great things.”

“He was somebody of great stamina and energy. He stood for what is right and influenced many,” he said.

Bishop Okiring chaired various peace committees in western Kenya and was instrumental in helping end clashes in Mt Elgon and the resettlement of local people.