Pope Francis lashed out at wealthy minorities who hoard resources at the expense of the poor as he visited a crowded Nairobi slum on Friday, wrapping up the first-leg of a three nation tour.
The 78-year-old pontiff was given a rapturous welcome as he arrived in Kangemi, which is home to more than 100,000 people who live in shacks without sewerage, including 20,000 who belong to the local Catholic parish.
"These are wounds inflicted by minorities who cling to power and wealth, who selfishly squander while a growing majority is forced to flee to abandoned, filthy and run-down peripheries," he told crowds in the slum which is on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital.
Nairobi: Wild singing and ululating erupted as Francis` arrived in Kangemi, his popemobile weaving through a sea of tin-roofed homes.
Speaking at the local Catholic church, Francis -- whose visit to the shanty town was a highlight of his three-day visit to this east African nation -- condemned the "dreadful injustice of urban exclusion."
"I am here because I want you to know that I am not indifferent to your joys and hopes, your troubles and your sorrows," Francis told the packed congregation at the church of St Joseph the Worker.
"I realise the difficulties which you experience daily. How can I not denounce the injustices which you suffer?"People arrived long hours before dawn in the hope of catching a glimpse of the pope, who has made humility and help for the impoverished a hallmark of his tenure.
