But apart from one accident which claimed seven lives a few days before Christmas - Kenyans have this year largely been spared (so far) of the horrendous road accidents that are common during the festive season. There were of course, a number of other road accidents including one on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway on Wednesday in which two people died.

Having been spared such tragedies on a bigger magnitudes, what should the population ideally focus on as the holiday spirit continues and a new year dawns?

If the nation needed guidance and direction in this regard, this was best offered by top church leaders in their Christmas messages across the country yesterday.

Besides dwelling on the spirituality of the occasion, most of the clergymen see this season as a time for the nation to review what it has been through and the issues it should focus on in the coming year.

The issue of the constitutional review has pre-occupied Kenyans for the most part of this year as has the appointment of a vice-president. These are among the issues church leaders found it necessary to revisit.

Archbishop John Njenga of Mombasa asked Kenyans to dedicate 1999 to fighting for a new constitutional order that would protect the rights of all people. He asked Christians to pray for an end to the three pronged evils that have afflicted Africa and led to a stagnation of development.

He named these as military conflicts, famine and rampant corruption.

Eldoret Anglican diocese bishop Rev Thomas Kogo would like Christians to make 1999 a year of transparency as the first step to creating a corruption-free nation by the next millennium.

Can Kenyans rise up to this challenge given the pervasive nature of corruption?

It is not impracticable. Among other things it calls for accountable, transparent governance, respect for law and order and due regard for all public institutions.

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