Kenya: To Shop Or Pray On Sunday

Kenya: To Shop Or Pray On Sunday

East African Standard (Nairobi)

29 July 2007
Posted to the web 29 July 2007

Robert Nyasato
Nairobi

It is on a Sunday. Ululations and hymnal chants rent the air as Christian faithful throng Suneka streets in South Kisii District. No, they are not heading to church.

They want the town council to change the market day to enable them worship peacefully and without competition from merchants.

Clad in robes and armed with palm twigs and rosaries, the faithful cause a heavy traffic snarl-up on the busy Kisii/Isebania highway.

Panic seizes the business community who hurriedly close their shops as hawkers fold their wares, ready to escape.

The protestors are from St Andrew Kaggwa Suneka Catholic. They have made Sunday their protest day and have vowed not to relent until the market day is changed.

These processions have put market goers in a dilemma.

Provincial administration officials and the police have been forced to intervene during such incidents to prevent the otherwise peaceful demonstrators from invading the market, a major source of revenue for the county.

Show of ecumenical solidarity

In a show of ecumenical solidarity, faithful, mostly Protestants from Suneka and the neighbouring areas, have joined their Catholic brethren in demanding that the Town Hall degazette Sunday as an official market day.

One of the underlying problems seems to be money, whereby it is said some faithful shop heavily on Sundays, depleting the Church of offertory.

The council on the other hand collects its highest revenue from the market on Sundays.

Other churches represented in the procession, that has come to be known as The Sunday March, include Deliverance, Redeemed Gospel, Faith Impact, Full Gospel Church, Genesis Worship Centre and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya.

Redeemed Gospel and Full Gospel churches have gone slow on the demands after the Town Council, in whose premises they fellowship, slapped them with a quit notice.

But they are yet to honour it.

"There was a small misunderstanding between us and the council, but we have agreed to resolve it amicably," Pastor Geoffrey Ondari of Genesis Worship Centre, told The Sunday Standard.

Stalemate between faithful and Town Hall

Ondari, while trying to dismiss claims that the notice had scared them, says they convinced a few councillors to back their demand on the market day.

"Eventually, things are working out and nobody should misinterpret this," he said.

But the Council chairman scoffed at the claims.

Entrance to St Andrew Kaggwa Suneka Catholic in Kisii District. Pictures by Robert Nyasato

"We cannot continue housing them when they are fighting us on the side," the council chairman, Mr Michael Moenga, said.

The stalemate between the faithful and Town Hall heightened after a meeting, chaired by Suneka District Officer, Ms Scholastica Kosgei, to resolve the issue flopped, when some councillors stormed out.

The councillors, led by Moenga, did not want the market day changed to Friday, as proposed.

The worshippers, led by Father Chrisantus Oyaro of Nyabururu parish, had sought audience with area District Commissioner, Mr Mahamud Mohamed.

They pressed the authorities to shift the market to Friday on a trial basis alongside Sunday.

All major markets in the region are held on Sunday

This, the meeting agreed, would allow the council to assess the amount of revenue collection before making any changes.

All major markets in the region are held on Sunday, a routine dating back to the colonial times.

One of the markets is Kibuye in Kisumu, which is the largest in Western Kenya.

Incidentally, it is adjacent to a Catholic Church. Others are Riosiri on the Kisii/Rongo border, Keroka in Masaba District, Nyabite in Nyamira District and Ringa in Rachuonyo.

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Interestingly, activities at Kibuye market, situated about 300 metres from the Catholic Church, have gone on for years, without any complaints. It is only recently that clerics began to feel that the town's merchants were diverting faithful.

The Catholic and Protestant leaders declined to have the market day shifted to Saturday, even though Seventh Day Adventists, who worship on this day, appeared comfortable.

"We keep the Sabbath Holy. Even if they shifted the day to Saturday, it would not draw our faithful away, since we abide by the church doctrines and principles," said Mr John Moturi, an SDA member, operating a food kiosk next to the market.

Church offerings have dropped

Many shops operated by SDA followers remain closed on Saturdays.

Some church leaders have a different opinion. They say many faithful come to church carrying their wares, which they deposit at the entrance, only to proceed to the market immediately after mass.

This habit compromises their faith, the leaders argue.

Others say church offerings have dropped since faithful spend their money in the market after services.

But at stake are operations of the council, which heavily pegs its expenditure on revenue collected on Sundays.

Although the council has slated Wednesday as another market day, more revenue is realised on Sunday.

The town treasurer, Mr J Gikenye, says they collect about Sh50,000 on Sundays. He is, however, non-committal on whether the day should be changed .

DC proposed a gradual change

The DC proposed a gradual change, noting that a sudden one could jeopardise the town's economic activities.

Moenga says the council has tried Friday twice but "nobody shows up at the market".

"If we move the day, the council will not collect any substantial revenue and our services will be grounded," he argued.

The council chairman had earlier said the civic authority would send to all stakeholders a report on the suitability of Friday as a market day. So far nothing has been released yet.

But the Chairman reads an ill motive in the churches' demand, claiming they were only interested in wooing more followers, hence more money in their offertory baskets.

"The council is not preventing anyone from going to church. Market day brings together willing buyers and willing sellers. Their fears are unfounded," he argued.

"The churches are just thinking of themselves. When we run out of money, what shall we do with the council workers?" he posed.

Market attracts traders from as far as Tanzania

If changed to Friday, the day will coincide with Nyakoe market, whose revenue goes to Gusii County Council.

Interestingly, some residents who worship on Sunday are comfortable with the current arrangement.

They say the church should inculcate commitment among its faithful.

"This is a matter of the soul and not a physical show. It would not help if one went to Church but had their mind on the market," said one Catholic faithful.

Ms Lillian Bosibori Omesa, a teacher who worships on Sunday, does not understand what the fuss is about.

"Church attendance is an individual prerogative that local authorities have little to do with. If the day is moved to Friday, Muslims will now take over the protests. Will that have solved anything?" she posed.

Suneka market is located on the Kisii/Isebania highway and attracts traders from as far as Tanzania, and Rongo and Migori districts.

It also acts as a major banana and sugarcane outlet for Bonchari, Kitutu-Chache and South Mugirango constituencies.

Problem blamed on mushrooming churches

If changed, traders will have to look for alternative markets that operate on Sundays.

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Moenga traces the problem to mushrooming churches that mistake the many market goers for potential worshippers.

Self-styled street preachers have turned the town's parking yards and open air spaces into pulpits.

During lunch break, these preachers offer spiritual nourishment to the residents.

Protesters interviewed said their mission was "in response to God's will that humans set aside one day of worship in a week".

But some town residents are sceptical, saying there is no direct link between the church and the market.

The church leaders have denied allegations that they are fishing money, arguing that believers contribute voluntarily.

"People should not just look at the day of worship. The word of God is the truth irrespective of where and when it is spread," said Rev Geoffrey Arasa, an SDA adherent.

In the meantime, the council has been forced to employ security personnel to counter any possible ugly incidents during The Sunday March.