Archbishop Maurice Muhatia(left) addresses the media joined by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops at Clergy Home, Queen of Apostle Mission Parish, along Thika Road on November 14, 2024. (Inset) President William Ruto.
Before he rode to power in September 2022, President William Ruto and the church were intertwined. He religiously attended church service in every corner of the country where he easily quoted the Bible, charming his way to the masses and consequently swept himself to power.
But this cordial relationship with the Church is fast fading, with the religious leaders turning to be the fiercest critics of his Kenya Kwanza administration. On Thursday, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) accused President Ruto of perpetuating a ‘culture of lies’ and using state machinery to silence critics. “The culture of lies is swiftly replacing the integrity and respect that Kenyans deserve. Basically, it seems that truth does not exist, and if it does, it is only what the government says,” said KCCB Chairman Archbishop Maurice Muhatia.
He went on: “Our problem is that Kenyans are being unreasonably overtaxed. We are vehemently concerned by the continued myriad of new tax regimes that are constantly emerging from day to day.” Dr Ruto’s administration responded in a flurry of statements, accusing the clergy of dishonesty. The development marked the height of deteriorating relationship between the Church and State.
Recently, the image of Pastor Dorcas Rigathi holding fast the arm of her husband Rigathi Gachagua and breaking down in tears as they left Karen Hospital was heart-breaking to many people – even those who ordinarily were never sold to the impeached Deputy President’s brand of politics. The scene was the culmination of high drama that moved from the hallowed floors of the National Assembly to the equally sanctified walls of the Senate before ending up in the hospital, where Gachagua was admitted suffering from what his physician Dan Gikonyo termed intense chest pains. It was around the same time that Evangelist Teresia Wairimu of the Faith Evangelistic Ministry (FEM), usually the picture of composure, lost her cool and said some uncomfortable things about the Ruto administration. “I have always been thinking that this government is a government of God; it is a government of fights,” she declared. She warned that she might not easily vote for Dr Ruto in 2027.
“As a voter, I’m embarrassed. In the next election, you must convince me. We are sick and tired of noise. We want performers, we want workers,” she said. That Wairimu was poking holes at the ‘godly’ status of the government was something worth sitting up and taking notice of. Wairimu is, if you may, a member of the royalty of the Kenyan church, especially its charismatic branch and cannot be put in the same pot with the many pound-shop ministries that come a dime a dozen.
When Dr Ruto and Gachagua were sworn into office at the Moi International Stadium on September 13, 2022, Wairimu was one of those who prayed for the new regime. Prior, she was part of the team of religious leaders who had gone round the country selling Ruto’s candidacy as ‘God-ordained’ as opposed to the Azimio candidate Raila Odinga, who was packaged as a man whose ways were not too pleasing to the Almighty.
After Kenya Kwanza’s victory, Wairimu officiated and showered praises on Ruto, buttressing his rags to riches story where the head of state has stated that he started out as a humble chicken seller. Wairimu likened the head of State to David from the Bible, who rose from tending sheep to becoming one of Israel’s greatest kings.
“We have our David right here in our midst. We thank God that he didn’t come looking like a king, he didn’t smell like one… when God handpicked you to be a leader of this nation at a time like this, I want us to understand that God qualifies the disqualified and raises the nobodies,” she said. And now the Kenyan David seems headed back to the grazing fields, at least if Wairimu’s prophecy is to come to pass. Her sermon, which has since gone viral, might as well mark the end of the marriage that was between the Church and the Kenya Kwanza administration in general and Dr Ruto in particular.
It is instructive to note that Wairimu has been a spiritual leader to both President Ruto and the First Lady Rachel. In the spiritual realm, the two are her children and by taking a firm stand against the President, we can use legal terms to say she is disinheriting the two. Those who have seen and followed Wairimu’s ministry over the years agree with her assessment of the state of the nation.
“When an authentic Prophet of rank whose word doesn't fall to the ground like Teresia says ‘some people will start going home’, you're left to chew into the utterance some more. Is it home from the office they hold or home to the creator? She opens her mouth and seasons shift! It's clearly a new day in the land and it won't be business as usual,” says Lilian Mandu, a life coach.
Civil war
The Provost of All Saints Cathedral where the Anglican Province is headquartered in the country, Evans Omollo, cautioned his fellow church leaders on the need for restraint, particularly in making proclamations that certain political figures are “God’s chosen”, given their influential role in society. He clarified that it was only a section of the church — primarily the evangelical wing — that made such declarations. Canon Omollo advised that, in the future, the church should maintain a safe distance from political affairs, allowing it to objectively call out wrongdoings or praise good deeds from a position of moral authority.
“As a church leader who plays role in shaping public opinion from the pulpit where God has given us to serve, my unsolicited advice to my fellow church leaders, especially those who endorse political leaders who were running for different offices, and made public declarations that they were chose of God, should, in the even that they feel those leaders are not working in the path that they desire, seek private audience with them, counsel them, talk to them, pastor them from that perspective instead of pubic outburst and condemnation.”
He added: “I think a different approach needs to be discovered because as a pastor, those are your Christians, those are your members at that particular time. It's only fair that you seek them out, privately and counsel them. Should that not succeed, then there are other avenues for mediation that should be sought instead of public outcry.”
Rev Tony Kiama of the River of God Church is one of those clergymen who have been vocal against what they see as malpractices of the Ruto administration. He recently went viral in a sermon where he categorically stated that the Kenya Kwanza administration wasn’t serving God’s purpose but an evil one. The sermon was based on John 10:10 which says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Rev Kiama then went ahead to state why the Kenya Kwanza was not godly citing the killings during the Gen Z protests, the rising cost of living and corruption in high places being reported every day.
In an interview with The Weekly Review, Kiama was categorical that this government was a let-down to the millions of Kenyans who expected it to deliver services to them. “I must be very clear. When I say the government has failed Kenyans I mean both Ruto and Gachagua and they share equal blame on the mess we find ourselves in. They were jointly elected, and I don’t see how one of them can turn around and claim that they were not responsible,” he says.
The head of the Christ is the Answer Ministries (Citam), Bishop Calisto Odede, says that clergymen are within their mandate when they call out political leaders when the latter fail in their responsibilities. “While the Constitution provides for the separation of state and religion, the constitution also acknowledges the Supreme Creator God. This, therefore, would mean that the church cannot totally withdraw from matters pertaining to the governance of the people of Kenya because we are in the same ship. If someone is busy drilling a hole on the bottom of the ship, while we are sailing then we must by all means stop the person because we will all sink. This, therefore, means that we must keep those who have been entrusted with the welfare of the nation accountable so that we can all reach our destination safely,” he told the The Weekly Review.
Rev Edward Munene runs International Christian Centre in Mombasa. He says he has been actively pointing out the failures of the Kenya Kwanza leadership. In a phone interview, Rev Munene said that there are many like him who are disappointed with the country’s leadership and have been consistently keeping the government in check.
The imminent falling-out between President Ruto and the church leaders raises the issue of endorsement of presidential candidates by the clergy and whether it is for the better or to the detriment of the church and nation. Rev Kiama says that church leaders have no business endorsing candidates for political seats stressing that doing so alienates some members of the congregation who could be supporting a different candidate. He further dismisses a popular notion among Christians especially in the Pentecostal movement that Kenya was a nation chosen by God.
“Where does that leave Uganda, Zambia, Ukraine or any other country for that matter? What is important to God is that are you born again. Countries have no stake in the salvation story but God is interested in individuals and their souls,” he offers.
In an interview before the 2022 General Election, Bishop Odede was firm in his stand that the church must not tell the members whom to vote. Yesterday, he reiterated this, adding that some of his colleagues who endorsed candidates were offended by his stand back then. “Historically we have seen nations where the church has so identified with a leader, that the leader was synonymous with the church. When the situation changed and the leader turned out either to be evil or quite incompetent, the church was left with deep embarrassment.
This happened in Zambia with President Fredrick Chiluba, arrested and charged on corruption issues; Laurent Gbagbo of Cote’ d’Ivoire refusing to leave office after being defeated in an election and triggering a civil war and all hailed by Christians as the churches’ candidates. The church cannot control politicians once they enter into office even if they were campaigning on a Christian platform,” he said. State House did not respond to our enquiry on the perception of a deteriorating relationship between the state and the church. Calls and messages to Press Secretary at the House on the Hill Emanuel Talam were not replied to by the time of going to press.
Rev Munene says he also refrained from endorsing candidates in the last elections but instead came up with the acronym CHANGE, which he expounds on as: “Courageous leaders who make the right decisions, even in the face of adversity. Harmonious leaders who unite people rather than divide them for personal gain. Able leaders with the capacity to lead, tackle economic challenges, and build the nation. Nifty leaders with vision and the ability to drive the country toward progress. Genuine leaders who do not exploit the people or engage in corruption. Empathetic leaders who care deeply about the welfare of the people of Kenya.
“As for the claims regarding Rev Wairimu, I would refrain from commenting on the motivations behind her speech, as that is not for me to judge. However, my hope is always that our leaders, both in government and in the church, speak and act from a place of genuine care for the nation and its people, not for any other reason,” he noted.
However, not all seem to agree with Wairimu’s new stand. The fact that the impeached Gachagua and Wairimu share the same ethnicity is something that has been raised in some quarters. Apostle Nickson Orieny of The Temple of God Ministries is one of those questioning Wairimu’s withdrawal of support for President Ruto. “I recall during the 2022 elections' campaigns I warned the ‘false’ Kenyan Church against misleading the nation into voting for a Ruto presidency, but instead of being heard, I was met with insults by my fellow clergy.
“Once he assumed the office of President, Ruto began to show his true colours. The Church started getting worried but could not speak out loud as that would mean exposing their hypocrisy which would clearly cause many to question their spiritual authenticity. The moment Ruto joined hands with Odinga.... that's when all hell began to break loose. Then came President Ruto's fallout with Gachagua which broke the camel's back. The Kenyan Church is quite tribal.... you just need to interact with the management of the various Churches to note this. When you see the likes of Wairimu cursing Dr Ruto's administration, just know that God is openly exposing their hidden tribal characters. Indeed, Wairimu and company are being propelled by tribal feelings and not the Holy Spirit of God.”
Additional reporting by Daniel Ogetta
