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Kenya

‘Popemania’ hits East Africa, with mouse pads, key rings and more

– Security concerns –

The three countries – which have significant Catholic communities – have been troubled by civil conflicts and violence, leading to increased security concerns surrounding the pope’s visit.

Both Kenyan and Ugandan troops are fighting the Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab insurgents in Somalia, and the Islamists have carried out a string of attacks in revenge.

Those include the 2010 Kampala bombings in which 76 people died, and in Kenya, an April massacre at Garissa University in which 148 people were killed, and a 2013 assault on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall that killed 67.

Acting president of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba Panza has said she hopes the pope will go ahead with his visit to the conflict-hit country this month despite security concerns.

In Uganda, around two-fifths of people are Catholic.

“Pope Francis is down to earth,” said John Paul Guminkiriza, 25, among many Ugandans named after John Paul II, following that previous pope’s visit. Guminkiriza’s family is staunchly Catholic and he has six nuns for aunts

His mother took him to wave at God’s representative on earth back in 1993 but, being only three years old, “I don’t have a lot of memories about that visit,” he said.

Guminkiriza plans to rectify that by going to the Namugongo martyrs’ shrine to hear a lecture from the pope, and hopes he might even have the chance to meet him.

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“I am so grateful and happy for his visit, Uganda is really blessed,” said Guminkiriza.

The chairperson of Catholic organisation, the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, said preparations – including road improvements, better street lighting, a massive security presence and tourism marketing – were “going well”.

Odama said the pope’s message for Uganda to “keep on living in peace” would help many to “keep their faith” and make Catholicism in Uganda “stronger”.

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