Kenyan Catholic Church Declines President’s $40,000 Donation

The Catholic Church in Kenya has declined a donation totaling approximately $40,000 (£32,000) from President William Ruto. The President had presented the funds for the construction of a priest’s residence and as a contribution to the choir during a Sunday Mass held at the Soweto Catholic Church in Nairobi, the nation’s capital. This donation occurred after Catholic bishops recently criticized the government for not delivering on its electoral pledges. Throughout the current year, religious institutions have faced scrutiny from young anti-tax demonstrators, who have alleged an overly close association with political figures. Subsequent to President Ruto’s widely reported donation on Sunday, numerous Kenyans called upon the Catholic Church to decline the funds. President Ruto had initially provided approximately 2.6 million Kenyan shillings ($20,000, £16,000) in cash, with a commitment to provide the remaining amount later, and also pledged a bus for the parish. Philip Anyolo, the Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, stated that the cash would be returned due to “ethical concerns and the need to safeguard the Church from being used for political purposes”. Archbishop Anyolo also rejected the President’s other commitments and indicated that a donation of 200,000 Kenyan shillings from Johnson Sakaja, the Governor of Nairobi, who was present at the same service, would also be returned. Archbishop Anyolo affirmed, “The Catholic Church strongly discourages the use of church events such as fundraisers and gatherings as platforms for political self-promotion.” He further noted that such contributions violated both church guidelines and Kenyan legislation. The enduring connections between religious organizations and political bodies appear to be weakening in a nation where over 80% of inhabitants identify as Christian. Three years prior, established churches prohibited politicians from utilizing the pulpit during services in exchange for financial contributions. Nevertheless, the relationship was still viewed as close, with young protesters alleging that churches sided with the government when new taxes were introduced earlier this year. Using the social media hashtag #OccupyChurch, many criticized the churches for not supporting them during the fatal protests that arose in opposition to the proposed tax increases. This public outcry compelled President Ruto’s administration to retract the contentious finance bill in July. Subsequently, last week, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, which serves as the representative body for all Catholic bishops nationwide, accused the government of fostering a “culture of lies”. In a strongly worded statement, the conference also highlighted concerns regarding over-taxation, corruption, human rights violations, freedom of speech, unemployment, and a “crumbling” education system and healthcare services. It further stated, “Despite the calmness we are experiencing, there is a lot of anxiety and most people are losing trust in the government.” In response, President Ruto seemingly retorted to the clergy, remarking, “we must be careful to give factual information lest we become victims of the things we accuse others of doing”. Aaron Cheruiyot, a senator aligned with the government, also accused the church of “misinformation,” asserting that the “clergy must avoid being purveyors of propaganda, fake news and falsehoods.” A significant portion of Kenya’s Christian population is Catholic, with an estimated 10 million adherents, representing approximately 20% of the total population, based on government data. Other Christians in the country belong to various evangelical churches and other denominations, such as the Anglican Church of Kenya, which has supported the Catholic Church’s stance. Anglican Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit commented that the Catholic bishops had articulated the sentiments of numerous Kenyans. He stated, “Calling church leaders names or dismissing the bishops’ statement as ‘misleading, erroneous and false,’ is itself dishonest.” He concluded, “The [Catholic] bishops have spoken the minds of Kenyans and faithfully expressed the truth as things are on the ground.”