President Ruto leads prayers for rains as drought wrecks Kenya

President William Ruto on Tuesday led the nation in prayer as Kenyans and political leaders gathered at the Nyayo stadium for the National Prayer Day event.

The Head of State had on Sunday invited Kenyans to attend the event and ask for God’s intervention in bringing rain and blessings to the country.

According to President Ruto, Kenyans should pray for the country so that the Almighty can bestow favor and blessings upon them, as the nation undergoes the worst drought in four decades.

After making his address as the event neared its end, President Ruto asked those in attendance to bow their heads for a short prayer session meant to intercede for the nation.

"We pray for rain; we pray that you shall open the heavens for us so that you can have plenty and so that our farms can produce. So that we can have food in plenty and so that the people of Kenya can rejoice. Father, we commit our children; we call our children, Heavenly Father, from drugs, we call them to come back home. We call our children from alcoholism; we claim back the future of our nation,” he prayed.

“We pray for Kenya, we lift up our nation before you, Lord, that you will find favour and grace even amongst the community of nations. We pray for each Kenyan that, Heavenly Father, you shall cause them to attain the wishes of their hearts. We commit the days to come to your good hands and we want to thank you and all honour and glory shall come back to you because we pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!”

President Ruto earlier also sought to assert that the church has finally rediscovered its place in the country's political scene after, presumably, many years in the cold.

The Head of State intimated that the church had for the longest time taken a back seat in the country's political affairs, but that the clergy was slowly making a comeback.

Ruto has noticeably held a number of interdenominational prayer sessions ever since he ascended to the presidency, drawing ire from a section of his detractors who feel that the church should remain independent and separate from political affairs.

"I'm glad that the church has come to occupy its place. I was worried, wakati niliona viongozi wengi wa kanisa wamenunua uoga, wameambiwa maneno...ati kanisa haifai," said President Ruto. 

"Watu wengi waliodunisha neno la Mungu wakakejeli kanisa la Mungu, wakajifanya ati kuna Deep State mpaka kanisa ikaanza kuogopa, but today I am happy that the church has come back to the centre of Kenyan politics."