Pope Francis visited Africa for the first time last week to promote peace and reconciliation, call out injustice and corruption, and encourage a deep concern for the poor.

CNN reports the Pontiff first reached Kenya on the first leg of his five-day visit and addressed issues on animal poaching, climate change and social injustice.

"Our world has a grave social debt toward the poor who lack access to drinking water because they are denied a life consistent with their inalienable dignity," Francis said on Friday.

Aside from taking aim at the "dreadful injustice of social exclusion", the Pope also condemned the acts of corruption as the root of the country's poverty.

"Corruption is something that eats you inside like sugar," the 78-year-old Catholic leader said. "It's sweet, we like it, it's easy. And then we end up sick and poor. So much sugar that we either end up being diabetic or own country ends up being diabetic."

"It's not just in politics," he continued. "It is in all institutions, including in the Vatican there are cases of corruption."

The Pope then headed to Uganda on Saturday and honored the 45 Ugandan Christians (23 Anglicans and 22 Catholics) who died for their faith when they were burned alive more than a hundred years ago. Speaking at the mass in front of about 300,000 attendees, Francis encouraged the people to be reminded of the martyrs' faith and to live as witnesses of God's love by helping others.

"This legacy is not served by an occasional remembrance or by being enshrined in a museum as a precious jewel," Francis said. "Rather we honor them and all the saints when we carry on their witness to Christ, in our homes and neighborhoods, in our workplaces and civil society, whether we never leave our homes or we go to the farthest corner of the world."

Pope Francis ended his African trip at the Central African Republic on Sunday and met with various leaders from different religions, including muslims, to promote peace and reconciliation.