From Pews to Public Watchdogs: LCMC’s Twin Campaigns for Community Accountability
By Ms. Teresia Muia
One church, two counties, and one clear goal: to help ordinary people promote transparency and fairness in the use of public resources. The twin campaigns began on August 7th in Kisumu, where the Loyola Centre for Media and Communications (LCMC) team, together with the Archdiocese, trained parish justice teams to oversee budgets and procurement by combining faith teachings with legal knowledge to fight corruption.
The campaign then proceeded to Mombasa, continuing up to August 12th, where CJPD trainers focused on making school bursary allocations fairer by equipping communities with tools to spot favoritism and demand accountability.
Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa reminded CJPD members of their vital role as advocates: “If we leave things to happen on their own, they will not happen,” he said. “We need advocates, and as CJPD, we are an advocacy organ. Our campaign is not about voting for one and leaving another; it is about pushing for good leaders.”
Meanwhile, speaking in Kisumu, Fr. Dr. Odomaro Mubangizi SJ underscored the moral imperative behind these efforts: “The church is not only a place of worship, but a platform for justice.” His words highlight the belief that faith communities must lead the charge in promoting accountable governance.
What unites both efforts are LCMC’s strategy of rooting civic duty in faith, training local champions, partnering with justice agencies, and developing practical resources for sustained oversight. The result? Parishioners who are not just worshippers but have become their communities’ newest watchdogs against the misuse of public funds.
