Kenya’s Catholic Church has rejected a donation of about $40,000 (£32,000) made by President William Ruto.
He offered the money towards the building of a priest’s house and as a gift to the choir during Mass on Sunday at the Soweto Catholic Church in the capital, Nairobi.
The donation followed a recent statement by Catholic bishops, who had hit out at the government for failing to fulfil their electoral promises.
Churches have been under pressure this year from young anti-tax protesters who have accused them of being too close to politicians.
Following Ruto’s much-publicized donation on Sunday, many Kenyans urged the Catholic Church to reject the money.
The president had given around 2.6m Kenyan shillings ($20,000, £16,000) in cash, pledged the rest of the money later and also promised to give the parish a bus.
The Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, Philip Anyolo, said the cash would be returned over “ethical concerns and the need to safeguard the Church from being used for political purposes”.
He also declined his other pledges and said a donation of 200,000 Kenyan shillings made by the Governor of Nairobi, Johnson Sakaja – who attended the same service, was also being handed back.
The Catholic Church in Kenya has strongly condemned the use of church events for political self-promotion, with Archbishop Anyolo stating that such actions violate both church directives and Kenyan law.
This stance comes amid growing tensions between churches and political institutions in Kenya, where over 80% of the population is Christian.
Despite the long-standing relationship between the two, the Church’s influence has been questioned in recent years, especially after churches banned politicians from using the pulpit for fundraising purposes.
The perception of closeness between politicians and the Church was further challenged when young demonstrators accused religious leaders of supporting the government during protests against new tax proposals earlier this year.
The protests, under the hashtag #OccupyChurch, criticized the churches for their silence during violent demonstrations triggered by the government’s planned tax hikes. This public outcry led to the withdrawal of the controversial finance bill in July, signaling a shift in the relationship between the Church and the government.
A statement by the Catholic bishops was met with a harsh response from the government, including President Ruto, who warned the clergy about spreading misinformation.
Despite the backlash, the Anglican Church of Kenya defended the Catholic Church’s position, with Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit agreeing that the bishops had expressed the concerns of many Kenyans.
He dismissed the government’s accusations, arguing that the Church had spoken truthfully about the situation facing the country. This ongoing debate reflects the complex and sometimes contentious relationship between religion and politics in Kenya.
