‘Dedicated, inspirational’: President Ruto mourns Bishop Allan Kiuna

President William Ruto has eulogised Bishop Allan Kiuna as a dedicated and inspirational Christian leader.

Kiuna, co-founder of the Jubilee Christian Church (JCC), died at a Nairobi hospital on Tuesday aged 57.

In a post on X, Ruto said he was saddened by Bishop Kiuna’s passing, describing him as an inspiration to many people of the Christian faith.

“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the passing of Bishop Allan Kiuna. I join the Christian community in mourning his death. Bishop Kiuna was a dedicated Christian leader who founded the Jubilee Christian Church (JCC) and inspired many to follow the teachings of the Lord,” wrote the President.

“To his wife, Rev. Kathy Kiuna and family we stand with you in this time of grief and mourning, and pray that you find the courage to persevere through this trying period. May he rest in peace.”

Reverend Kiuna in 2019 revealed that her husband was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer the previous year.

The bishop would in 2022 seek treatment in the United States, where he ended up spending a year and upon his return last year announced he was cancer-free.

He told his Nairobi church on December 10, 2023, that his treatment cost over $3 million (nearly Ksh.460 million at the time).

But the controversial bishop told the faithful that not a single coin out of this amount came from his own pockets “because the God of heaven provided.”

“Don’t get bitter with the process. If you get bitter with the process, you shall abort your purpose. I am not bitter about the process because I am better. My best days are ahead of me,” Bishop Kiuna said then.

The Kiunas founded JCC in 1999 and the church gained popularity among a section of the city’s middle class and several local celebrities.

The church has however attracted controversy as the congregants often referred to the founding couple as 'Daddy' and 'Mummy'.

The couple was also criticised for parading their lavish lifestyle online, including pictures on a private jet. Their critics have also accused them of preaching prosperity theology.

Bishop Kiuna however dismissed the backlash saying, “A tiger is not bothered about the opinion of the sheep.”

“…You have to get to a place where you just keep doing what God has called you to do, and do it with all faithfulness, with all humility. But don’t ever be detoured by the words of the haters because people will always hate,” he said in a 2014 interview.

In 2016, the bishop published a book titled ‘Living in Financial Distinction’.

To honour Bishop Kiuna's legacy, JCC has organised a series of memorial services from Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14.