Emulate Ndingi, a colossus and human rights defender

Archbishop Emeritus Ndingi mwana a’Nzeki, the Catholic Church leader who died on Tuesday aged 89, strode across this country with a determination to defend human rights and still ensure Kenyans kept their deep Christian faith in a manner that belied his diminutive stature.

Alongside others, such as Archbishop David Gitari, Bishop Henry Okullu, Rev Alexander Muge, Rev Timothy Njoya and Rev Mutava Musyimi, the then-National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) chairman, they made up an unofficial ‘opposition party’ in the church during the 1980s, when the Kanu leadership was simply untouchable.

In many ways, Ndingi was a replica of Jaime Cardinal Sin of the Philippines, who headed the Catholic Church in the country during the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship.

Marcos and our own Daniel arap Moi had similar traits: they were intolerant to criticism and their word was law.

It was almost anathema for one to criticise the despotic rule of Moi, but Ndingi did it without batting an eyelid and with his head held high.

Ndingi is best remembered for telling the government off over the 1990s tribal clashes in the Rift Valley that were nothing but ethnic cleansing — just as with Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims.

It’s during those low moments of our nation that Ndingi came out guns blazing, while others, including some religious leaders, kept quiet as others were full of praise for the king instead of telling him that he was naked.

Together with the others, Ndingi kept the hopes of Kenyans alive. And just like Jesus Christ, who defied the scribes and the high priests to eventually get crucified, Ndingi kept true to his calling.

He at one time dared the Kanu leadership to arrest him and charge him in a court of law.

It is this concern for the downtrodden and the poor in the society that Kenyans will forever remember Ndingi.

For the present-day religious leaders, who have embraced the prosperity gospel and cannot, therefore, criticise the ills of our political leaders for fear of losing their largesse, Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki is the man they should strive to be.