Pope Francis visitedKenya from 25 to 27 November 2015.[1] It was his first state and pastoral visit to the country and the continent of Africa at large.[2] Francis is the second pontiff to visit Kenya afterJohn Paul II who visited Kenya 3 times.[3] In his visit, he met the president of the Republic of Kenya,Uhuru Kenyatta, held meetings with various members of the clergy, held an open mass at theUniversity of Nairobi and visited a poor slum neighbourhood ofKangemi.[1] As a result of his visit, most of the roads in Nairobi were closed on Thursday and parts of Friday.
The Pope's 3 day schedule as published on the Vatican website atw2.vatican.va
The Pope arrived atJKIA at 1335 GMT.[4]
| Time | Activity | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1700 | Arrival and Welcoming ceremony at the State House | State House Nairobi |
| 1800 | Courtesy visit to the President of the Republic | State House Nairobi |
| 1830 | Meeting with the Public Authorities of Kenya and the Diplomatic Corps |
Thursday was declared a public holiday by the PresidentUhuru Kenyatta.[5]
| Time | Activity | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 0815 | Interreligious and ecumenical meeting | Hall of the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi |
| 1000 | Holy Mass | University of Nairobi Main Campus Grounds |
| 1545 | Meeting with the Clergy, Men and Women Religious and Seminarians | St Mary’s School |
| 1730 | Visit to the U.N.O.N. (United Nations Office at Nairobi) | UNON Complex, Gigiri |
| Time | Activity | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 0830 | Visit toKangemi | Kangemi Slum. There was a miracle of healing in Kenya, reported in The Catholic Mirror. Rosemary Nundu, who was on crutches for years, presented the Pope with the Rosary of the Unborn, fell to the ground and woke up healed, she no longer needs crutches. More about the Rosary of the Unborn, the new sacramental for our world today, go to www.rosaryoftheunborn.eu |
| 1000 | Meeting with youth | Kasarani Stadium |
| 1115 | Meeting with the Bishops of Kenya | VIP Lounge atKasarani Stadium |
| 1510 | Farewell ceremony | JKIA |
| 1530 | Departure to Entebbe | JKIA |
A total of 10,000[6] police officers were deployed to secure the Pope's visit.
In a televised press release, Inspector General of Police,Joseph Boinnet informed the public about road closures during the visit.[7]
Media from Commons
