Pope urges Kenyans to work for peace
By NICOLE WINFIELD and TOM ODULA, Associated Press
Nov 25, 2015 10:09 AM CST
Pope Francis greets traditional dancers on his arrival at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015. Pope Francis left Wednesday for his first-ever visit to the continent, a whirlwind pilgrimage to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic, bringing a message of peace and reconciliation...   (Associated Press)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Pope Francis is urging Kenyans to work for peace, forgiveness and a more just distribution of the country's enormous resources as he begins his first-ever visit to Africa.

Francis was received upon arrival Wednesday at Nairobi's airport by President Uhuru Kenyatta on the first leg of a six-day pilgrimage that will also take him to Uganda and the Central African Republic, a country torn by fighting between Christians and Muslims.

In his opening speech to Kenyatta and the country's diplomatic corps at Nairobi's State House, Francis urged all Kenyans to work for peace and forgiveness in order to heal ethnic, religious and economic divisions.

He said: "Experience shows that violence, conflict and terrorism feed on fear, mistrust and the despair born of poverty and frustration."

See 15 more photos