NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 — President William Ruto has criticized churches for delivering what he described as overly negative sermons, accusing some clergy of dwelling on government shortcomings while overlooking its achievements.
Speaking during the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) Church’s centenary celebrations in Nyang’ori, Vihiga County, Ruto praised the day’s message as “uplifting,” contrasting it with what he termed a growing trend of critical preaching.
“The church has always been complaining that this and that has not been done. But today’s sermon was a bit different,” he said.
Ruto’s remarks soon took a more contentious turn as he demanded acknowledgment of a Sh10 million donation he made to the church during a previous visit.
“I promised to help this church last time and gave a donation of 10 million shillings, but I have not heard you acknowledge that,” he said.
“How am I supposed to add more donations if you failed to recognize the last one?”
The President’s comments revived controversy over rifts within the PAG over the previous donation even as he committed an additional Sh50 million toward the construction of a new PAG headquarters in Vihiga County.
Tension
The earlier Sh10 million gift had sparked internal divisions, with Archbishop Patrick Lihanda later admitting the contribution created friction among clergy who felt it blurred the line between faith and political patronage.
Reports at the time indicated unease within sections of the church hierarchy over how the donation became politically charged.
Ruto has had an uneasy relationship with sections of the clergy, notably the Catholic and Anglican churches, which have publicly rejected political donations.
In November 2024, the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, under Archbishop Philip Anyolo, turned down contributions from both Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, citing a Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) policy prohibiting political gifts to safeguard the Church’s independence.
Similarly, the Anglican Church of Kenya, led by Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, directed clergy to maintain neutrality and avoid entanglement in partisan politics — reinforcing efforts to keep the pulpit separate from the political podium.
Ruto has defended his donations as acts of personal faith rather than political strategy, insisting they reflect his Christian duty to support the church.