Bishop Kariuki recalls endless phone calls, 'greetings' from Kenyans after meeting President Ruto

The long-serving man of God, who was part of a religious delegation which paid a courtesy visit to the Head of State back in December, recently revealed to his church congregation that, just moments after visiting Ruto, his private phone number was leaked online and Kenyans from all walks of life decided to 'greet' him.

'Greeting' (also commonly referred to as 'injecting') is the now-popular aggressive approach that took off during the 2024 anti-government protests. It encourages people to make direct phone calls to a person, often a public figure or politician, and criticise them.

Kariuki, the presiding Bishop at Majestic City Church, was at pains to explain to his flock why he was attending the Ruto meeting. He added that he was not necessarily the leader of the church delegation but was merely invited alongside his peers.

"We were called to State House by the president. I was not alone, we were (there) 25 people. I was not even the leader of the group. I did not organise the group... I was just among the people invited. And you cannot be called by a leader and say 'no'. So I went...." he told the congregation.

Kariuki went on to narrate that Kenyans wasted no time in calling him names, berating him and haranguing him for daring to honour the presidential invite.

"As soon as we left that place, by the time I got to the office, I started receiving calls. I picked the first one... "Hallo Bishop Mark, Mbwa wewe! Ng'ombe!" I checked my head and my back to see if I had horns or a tail, and then I realized that I was neither a dog nor a cow so I decided to go back to my business..." he told a roaring audience.

The veteran preacher added that he learned of what was happening from his son.

"I was with my son in the car. The phone was ringing endlessly. I just knew that any new number was one of the abusive ones. My son then told me that he had seen my phone number and that of my wife circulating online, " he said.

Soon after meeting the President, various prominent personalities on X blasted the preacher and shared his private phone number online, urging Kenyans to 'inject'.

While sharing his number, KANU digital strategist Cornelius K. Rono wrote, Enemy of progress. Ruto's puppet! Let's inject properly!"

Controversial blogger Francis Gaitho also chimed in, posting, "Name: Bishop Mark Kariuki. Offence: Agent Of (Ruto) The Devil. Action: Inject!"

X activist @WanjiruWanjiru also called him out, writing, "Today's enemy is BIG-SHOP Mark Kariuki Deliverance Church. His bags are full today after receiving a brown envelope in the State House today. It's time to boycott Deliverance Church and all those greedy pastors who meet the looter today!"

After the meeting, President Ruto noted the importance of collaboration between the State and religious institutions despite escalating tensions.

Ruto described religious organisations as vital partners in promoting national cohesion.

He wrote on X: "Religious faiths and the State serve the same people and have always worked together to ensure national unity and provide social services, including education, health, and supporting the vulnerable. We are committed to maintaining this partnership."