MERU, JULY 12, 2016 (CISA) – The Catholic diocese of Meru July 9, honoured Bro Guisseppe Argese an Italian Consolata Missionary for coming up with exemplary water projects that today supply clean water to close to half a million people in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties.
“We are here today to celebrate water. Water does a lot of things in the world, building, Cleanliness, medicine that is why we need to take care of it very well so that it is available in the future. It is important to see how to protect our water sources. Not just consuming the water without knowing where it is coming from,” said Bishop Salesius Mugambi.
The bishop was speaking during his homily at Mass to mark the annual Meru Diocese Water Day celebrations at the Tuuru Water Supply offices in Laare town.
The bishop noted that for the water to be continuously available there has to be rules and regulations in place. He refereed the faithful to the Israelites in the Old Testament.
“The Israelites were thirsty and the water they got was salty. But because they were many and there was only one source they had to come up with laws to ensure orderliness and to see that the source was protected because it was the only one they had. Even us we are here to do that. Water is life and it must be protected. We must come up with policies to ensure the water is protected,” he said.
“We thank the Consolata missionaries for giving us Bro Argese to work in Meru for all these years. They gave us education, water, hospitals and they put up the diocese and supported us so that today we are able to stand on our own feet,” said bishop Mugambi.
“The people of Meru will forever be grateful to Bro Argese for the human formation he has imparted on them. Our major universities need to take keen interest in what has been done in Mukululu for our prosperity” said Fr Andrew Mbiko, the chairman of management for the Tuuru Water supply.
“We are kindly drawing the attention of the entire country and especially the Kenya government to the special unique contribution this single missionary has made towards the human formation, development and civilization of the Meru people,” he added.
“We have made him one of our own. We are going to make him a Meru elder. We are specifically and with humility requesting his Excellency the president of the republic of Kenya to favour the granting of citizenship to Bro Argese and any other honour His Excellency deems befitting such great service to the people of Kenya,” said Fr Mbiko.
During the occasion Bro Argese was also made a Meru elder by the Meru Council of elders – the Njuri Ncheke. Bro Argese apart from being known as the waterman has also been involved in the building of churches.
Almost all the early churches in the Catholic diocese of Meru carry the mark of Bro Argese including at Chuka, Muthambe, Egoji, Mkabone, Kianjai, Mujwa and St Joseph Cathedral among others.
