Pope Francis made a plea for traditional values, saying "the health of any society depends on the health of its families," BBC News reports.

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The Pope earlier urged Kenyans to work for peace and reconciliation on his first trip as pontiff to Africa, amid a rise in militant violence.

He arrived in Kenya on Wednesday, the first stop on a three-nation tour.

Ahead of the Mass, Francis had been meeting with religious leaders, who he said should be "prophets of peace" in a violent and hate-driven world.

Read alsoPoroshenko: Pope accepts invitation to visit Ukraine A leading Muslim cleric in Kenya welcomed the visit, saying it gave hope to the "downtrodden in the slums."

Pope Francis's five-day visit will also see him go to Uganda and Central African Republic, which has been hit by Christian-Muslim conflict.

Kenya's government has said that up to 10,000 police officers may be deployed during the visit.

About 30% of Kenyans – including President Kenyatta – are baptized Catholics.