Pope Francis arrives in Kenya on Wednesday

The Pope will also visit Uganda and the Central African Republic

Pope Francis will arrive in Nairobi on Wednesday for a five-day, three-nation African tour to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic.

Africa has a growing number of Catholics. However, the church is facing strong competition from other Christian faiths.

“It is like stamping that yes, we have a vibrant church in Africa; in Kenya we have 14 million Catholics, so it is not possible for any pontiff, for any Pope to ignore that congregation, the fact that he has chosen Africa tells that he knows where the future is and also to come and encourage us that keep strong, keep going, this work must be done," says Commission of Bishops Father Charles Kinyua explaining the significance of the Pope's visit to Africa.


In Kenya, he will be preaching a message of healing and reconciliation. The East African nation has suffered ethnic divisions and terror attacks that have threatened the unity of the country.

"Maybe what the Pope will tell us or remind us is that we need a paradigm shift on how we think of our relations, on the question of politics and how we socialise with our young people," says Kinyua.

Billboards have lined up various streets in the city, as hawkers cash in on the visit. Kenya is the largest country on his Africa tour. He will be visiting a continent that has been described by his predecessors as a continent of hope. He will find a church that is growing in numbers.

From Kenya, the Pope moves to Uganda and then the Central African Republic - all the three countries are on high security alert as the Pope makes his maiden visit to Africa.