The late Maurice Cardinal Otunga is set to become Kenya's first saint.
The Catholic Church will exhume and rebury his body in a process that is expected to lead to his being declared a saint.
Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki announced the canonisation plans for Otunga at a mass at the Assumption of Mary Catholic Church in Umoja in Nairobi.
Before one is made a saint one must first be beautified and canonised. Beautification is a Papal authorisation of a cult in honour of a deceased Christian.
It is a stage in the process of canonisation involving a declaration by the Pope that the candidate is enjoying heavenly bliss and can be venerated locally.
Canonisation is a papal declaration that a deceased Christian is a saint. Originally, this was a matter for the local church, but since the 12th Century it has been restricted to the Holy Father to canonise saints.
It is the official declaration by the Church that a deceased Christian of attested virtue is a saint, to be honoured as such, and worth of imitation by the faithful.
Canonisation also involves declaration by the Pope that a person who died as a martyr and or who practised Christian virtue to a heroic degree is with God and is worthy of honour and imitation.
Ndingi said Otunga's body will be exhumed from St Austin's and be re-buried at the Resurrection Gardens in Karen. "We want to transfer his body to the Resurrection Gardens," said Ndingi during the mass.
He said a church would be built at the Karen Gardens where people can worship in a serene environment.
Ndingi, who appealed for individual contributions to attain the goal, said this would mark the first step towards making Otunga a saint.
"As soon as we get permission from the Government to exhume the body, we will start the process. It does not matter how much it will cost," he said.
Ndingi also moved to pacify warring factions at Assumption of Mary Catholic Church who have split the congregation down the middle.
He warned one group against interfering with the mass.
"The worst thing is to interfere with the mass. They must come and negotiate or else they are walking on one leg," Ndingi said.
The faction pits close to 100 choir members from St Leo, St Gregory and St Basil churches against the Father in Charge Michael Komu.
Komu fell out with sections of the congregation when he disbanded the choir and asked them to re-apply a year ago.
"We refused to re-apply because, he sought to know some personal things in the letter. One of them is where you work, whether you are married and how many children," said Chrisantus Makori, the choir's vice chairman.
The group petitioned Ndingi who sent a team to resolve the crisis. The team comprises Fathers Maloba Wesonga and Dominic Wamugunda.
And yesterday, Ndingi asked them to repent and to see him on Tuesday at his office if they have a problem.
" Songs are prayers. They must be composed and ratified by the priest. Not all songs can be ratified and sang in church," he said.
The group denied claims that they had composed songs which were against the Catholic faith.