BY AILEEN MURPHY

After over 24 years working in Africa, for one Cashel born priest, Kenya is most certainly 'home'. And although Fr Gabriel Dolan is back in Ireland for the next 12 months to complete a Master's degree in International Human Rights at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, there is no doubting where his heart, and quite often his head, remains.

Throughout his time in Kenya, he has found his role encompassing that of a priest, a friend, a confident, a citizen's advice bureau, a counselling service, and a radical anti-establishment protester - a practice which has had him arrested on two occasions.

An enthusiastic and infectious man, Fr Dolan explains: "Oh yes, Kenya is most definitely home. I've been there for more than 24 years," he explained, "I love the chance to come to Fermanagh, but usually it's only for a short time and I know when I'm going back. This time it's a little different as I'm in Ireland for quite a while. I'm back home about two weeks now and yes, already I miss Kenya."

It was as a young newly graduated priest with the Kiltegan Missionary Fathers that Fr Dolan found his calling: "When I finished in St Michael's (College) in 1974, I joined the Kiltegan Fathers. I always had a feeling I wanted to be a priest, but never wanted to minister in Ireland. For me there was always a draw to Africa, I felt there was a challenge there to help the poorest of people."

And so in 1982, he found himself as a fledgling priest based in Turkana, Kenya: "Turkana is one of the most difficult places in Africa to live. It is basically a desert, and is really remote with temperatures of 35 degrees all year round. Our dioceses was about the size of Ireland, with a population of a quarter of a million people, most from a nomadic background.

"In the 80's, Turkana was just coming out of a famine, and the people were going through a very difficult time", Fr Dolan explained, and, in some ways, this worked to the advantage of the young priest.

"The Church was only very young, and there was a feeling we could really do anything. The Government at the time was threatening people's culture, telling them they couldn't wear traditional clothes, beads etc., and people resented this, whereas the Church embraced their culture and brought it into the services, introducing traditional songs, dances, prayers etc.

"This was just at the beginning after Vatican II and we had a lot of freedom. At this stage, the Church had more respect than the Government, and we encouraged people to make decisions which were good for their own life."

It was during his time in Turkana, and, in particular in response to his work with the youth in that area, that Fr Dolan set up the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission.

"We got a lot of harassment at that time by the Government which saw we were encouraging young people to think for themselves and be aware of their civic rights. It was just basic things like what an election means, how to vote, but, at that time this was a one-party State and there was no room for democracy or freedom of speech."

The backlash from the Government was felt through police violence, as they 'went around belting people', Fr Dolan recalled.

"One time the riot police came in, and there were too many of them, not everyone was Catholic but we all moved into the church and I started to say Mass, and the police couldn't break up the service under the Freedom of Worship act. After the Readings, we started talking about what they meant in the light of everyone's life. We must have been there about six hours, before the police gave up and went away," he laughed.

Turning to the most sinister events of the state, Fr Dolan recalled how there were two police killings of people in custody during his time in Turkana: "One of these in was in 1997, and now nine years later it has only going to come to trial."

In 1997, Fr Dolan moved to Kitale, about 200 miles away, and it was here he made international headlines following his arrest over land protests last year.

"I thought it would be a good time to move on. We had the programme up and running in Turkana. At the time, there was a lot of conflict along the borders, there is still a lot of cattle rustling going on here, but it is done with AK47's and there are 200-300 people killed every year as a result." This practice he explained is fuelled by politicians who continue to pass the blame.

And, it was while he was expanding the Truth and Justice Programme to Kitale, that Fr Dolan found himself facing some very horrific and tragic practices, including the rife practice of rape and defilement.

"It is just so common, and it is dreadful. We have set up services to help people, including counselling, and legal advice to try and encourage them to take it to court. But, this is very difficult.

"Firstly, there is a stigma attached where families don't want people to know their daughter has been raped, and then the court system is so corrupt. There is a saying in Kenya, 'why pay a lawyer when you can buy a judge?'. And also because people are so very poor, there is a tendency for families to raise the subject, and one of them to say 'sorry' and offer an animal in compensation. And it's not that they believe this is the right way to deal with it, but they are so poor and an animal means so much.

"There is also the spread of Aids to deal with, many still believing the myth that having sex with a virgin will cure them of the disease, and this adds to the problem. But, slowly we are getting the message out there, and also encouraging women to come forward as soon as possible if they have been raped so we can treat them with drugs to eliminate the risk of Aids, and we can also then offer them counselling and further treatment.

"But, we are making progress," he said confidently.

"Kenya was the first African country to introduce a Sexual Offences Bill earlier this year, and it was launched in Kitale in recognition of the work we have done. This was a tremendous achievement."

Fr Dolan is passionate about justice and exposing the truth, and is clearly a contented man: "I love what I do, it is good because as a priest it allows you to get close to people. And, I believe when searching for justice you're touching the truth, and that is something really rich and has a life of it's own.

"The African people are so special. They are really poor, but they have a life, an energy and an optimism second to none. They have a very young hardworking population who, when they learn something is wrong, they totally take it on board and reject it

"Africa is the next big thing," Fr Dolan predicts. "The answer is industrialisation and they need good government, but it is about to take off. With strong leadership, and things like Cancel the Debt and Fair Trade agreements, and other G8 concerns, Africa is just about to turn the corner", he predicted.

However, he warned there was a need to control power and corruption to ensure the benefits of progress were felt throughout the country and not just in the ruling classes.

Until his return, when he will move to Nairobi, it is an slightly unsettled Fr Dolan who is adapting to life in Fermanagh, and the unpredictable Irish weather.

But, he is also relishing time with his family and is looking forward to bringing a quarter of a decade of fighting for truth and justice into the classroom and using his experience to secure his Master's Degree.