Ruto who spoke during a church service in Kimana, Kajiado County, pleaded with the church to view the state as a strategic development partner rather than an enemy.
President William Ruto on Sunday, December 1 dismissed heated differences between the state and the religious leaders in the wake of the Catholic Church rejecting his personal donation of Ksh2.6 million that he gave to St Anna and Joakim parish in Soweto, Nairobi.
Ruto who spoke during a church service in Kimana, Kajiado County, pleaded with the church to view the state as a strategic development partner rather than an enemy.
”There is no need to throw words at each other, there is no need for all that, I want to ask these people to tone down on the verbal exchanges. They should relax, there is no competition” Ruto stated.
President William Ruto addressing congregants during an interdenominational church service in Kimana, Kajiado County on Sunday, December 1, 2024. /PCS
Also, Ruto posed a challenge to religious leaders in reference to the Soweto Catholic Church in Nairobi being directed to reject donations of up to Ksh5.8 million from President Ruto and Governor Johnson Sakaja, hours after a section of Kenyans took it upon themselves to pressure the church to reject the gifts.
According to Ruto, the recent discussions between the government and the church regarding the decision to make a personal contribution, especially amid ongoing economic and social challenges, highlighted a conflict that didn’t exist.
”There is no competition between the church and others, no competition between the church and the state as they are all the same thing,” Ruto stated, adding “I am asking you Kenyans that this country is the same thing, therefore we cannot thrive on division. The church and the state must work together.”
Archbishop Philip Anyolo in a statement on Monday, November 18 declined donations of Ksh200,000 from the Governor of Nairobi, Johnson Sakaja to the choir and Parish Missionary Council (PMC), Ksh 600,000 from President Ruto to the choir and PMC and Ksh 2 million from President Ruto for the construction of the Fathers’ house.
According to Ichung’wah, the Catholic Church was also dishonest in telling Kenyans that it had returned part of the money that was a pledge and had not been handed over to them.
”I want to insist that the money that Ruto contributed to the Catholic church has not been returned yet. I want to ask elected leaders to respect elected leaders because they have also been chosen by God to serve Kenyans,” Ichung’wah stated.
