By Francis Ngahu Ndatha
NAIROBI, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 (CISA) – Catholic faithful gathered at the Resurrection Garden shrine in Nairobi on Saturday to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga, as Church leaders renewed calls for prayer to advance his cause for canonisation and challenged the country’s political class to embrace his example of humble service.
The memorial Mass, held at the shrine that houses the late Cardinal’s tomb, was led by Archbishop Philip Anyolo of Nairobi and concelebrated by Bishop Alfred Kipkoech Rotich of Kericho, John Cardinal Njue, Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi, and priests of the Archdiocese. Otunga’s family and members of the lay faithful also attended.
In his homily, Bishop Rotich described Cardinal Otunga, Kenya’s first native bishop and cardinal, as a man who bore hardship without complaint. “He was a man who suffered in silence,” he said, pointing to the simplicity that marked the late Cardinal’s life and ministry.
Bishop Rotich called on the country’s leaders to model that same humility in public office. “Our political leaders should boast of serving the Lord, not exploiting the people,” he said, adding that Cardinal Otunga “stood firm with a gentle heart” throughout his years of ministry.
He appealed for a new generation of intercessors to confront what he called a spirit of political idolatry in the country. “We need a spiritual father to reclaim our nation,” he said, praying that God would raise up leaders of unshakeable integrity within Kenya’s governance structures.
Fr Lawrence Njoroge, Vice Postulator of the cause for Cardinal Otunga’s beatification and canonisation, updated the congregation on the progress of the process. He said Archbishop Anyolo continues to follow up with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome, and that those who knew Cardinal Otunga personally continue to give testimony to his holiness. “A good and holy man, a gift of grace,” Fr Njoroge said of the late Cardinal.
Addressing the congregation later, Archbishop Anyolo invited the faithful to reflect on their own role in the process. “One question we should ask ourselves is what the process requires of me,” he said, thanking the faithful for their prayers, almsgiving and personal sacrifices on behalf of the cause.
“The Church does not remember people because of their titles. It is because they were holy, which is what Cardinal Otunga was – a shepherd who served the Archdiocese of Nairobi with distinction,” Archbishop Anyolo said.
He described the anniversary as an occasion to deepen the faithful’s own relationship with God rather than simply to honour the past. “This is a saint of our time. The memorial is to renew our relationship with God. Let us not stop praying for the process faithfully,” he said.
Archbishop Anyolo directed a particular appeal to young Catholics, encouraging them not to view holiness as belonging to a previous era. “Do not imagine holiness is for previous generations. It is about belonging to Christ. Therefore, live your life for Christ,” he said, calling on families to make their homes spaces of prayer and on priests to remain faithful to their vocation and to Church authority as an expression of stewardship.
He closed by cautioning against impatience with the pace of the Vatican process. “We do not pray to force God’s hand. We pray because, in God’s time, the truth concerning the sainthood will be revealed,” he said.
Cardinal Otunga died on September 6, 2003, at the age of 80, after serving as Archbishop of Nairobi for 26 years. His cause for canonisation opened in 2009 after a petition by Cardinal Njue, and he was declared “Servant of God” in 2010. His tomb at Resurrection Garden has since become a major pilgrimage site for Catholics seeking his intercession.
