‘God will be known in Kenya’: Ruto tells critics over church donations

President William Ruto on Sunday lashed out at those criticising his church donations despite his austerity pledge last year.

This is amid controversy over his Ksh.20 million pledge and a further Ksh.100 million for an upcoming construction fundraiser at the Jesus Winner Ministry church in Nairobi on March 2, which has sparked outrage.

At a Sunday service at AIC Fellowship Annex in Eldoret, Ruto labelled those concerned over his handouts “people who don’t believe in God” and maintained that he will continue “supporting God’s work.”

“The devil is very proud… There is a lot of controversy in this country about giving in churches, building sanctuaries and the place of God in Kenya,” he told the congregation.

“As the President of this Republic, by God’s grace, I want to say this: the Bible, in Daniel 11:32, tells us those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits. God will be known in this country, and this nation will do great exploits.”

The President said, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against Kenya”, adding that those opposing church contributions “will fail”.

“They will not succeed,” said Ruto. “Because they will not overcome us.”

Consequently, Ruto matched the AIC Fellowship Annex’s contribution at a recent fundraiser by twice the amount, telling the bishop: “Whatever was contributed last week, multiply it by two and send me the invoice.”

As Ruto attended the Eldoret service, police in Nairobi were repelling protesters attempting to block Thika Road in Nairobi’s Roysambu area, where the Jesus Winner Ministry church is located.

Critics fault the church’s leader, Bishop Edward Mwai, for accepting Ruto’s recent donation.

The demonstration, organised online this week, was initially planned to be held at the church premises, but a heavy police deployment at the entrance and compound made the youth resort to blocking the busy highway.

At the height of the nationwide anti-government protests last July, Ruto barred State officers from giving to church fundraisers and other functions to tame corruption, accumulating unexplained wealth, and theft of public resources.

But now, as public anger boils over failing core government functions such as healthcare and education, Ruto terms giving such monetary gifts to churches a moral imperative.

He told Eldoret churchgoers not to be “threatened by social media people.”

“We are losing our youth to drugs, and some people are telling us we should not be concerned about the moral standing of our country? We will, and we must!” he said.