Archbishop Muheria explains new policy after rejecting cash donations from politicians
By Emmanuel Rono, April 22, 2026Archbishop Anthony Muheria has disclosed the Catholic Church’s strict guidelines regarding donations from politicians, declaring that cash contributions will no longer be accepted during church harambees.
The Archbishop, while speaking during an interview with a local station on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, clarified that the church has moved away from accepting physical cash from politicians during harambees (fundraisers), particularly during Sunday services.
To modernise this process, the church now insists that contributions be made via cheques or bank transfers whenever possible.
“We don’t accept cash being presented in our harambees. What we insist on as far as possible is that it should pass through the sources of a cheque or a bank transfer,” Muheria stated.
Muheria stated that this policy is already in effect for major events, including family day collections.
Bank deposit slips
He noted that, instead of bringing cash, parishes now present bank deposit slips, making the entire process essentially cashless.
Muheria further addressed the concerns about the source of political funds, admitting that the church has no definitive way to verify the origin of the money.
“I’ve always said I wish I had a PH paper which I can touch the money to say is it clean money isn’t clean money we can’t what we do is we assume and we give the it is the conscience of the person contributing that must determine but what we insist as far as possible it should pass through the sources of a check or a bank transfer,” Muheria said.
The Archbishop also stated that there should be no announcement of the amount contributed by any individual. He stressed that the act of giving should remain a private matter, describing it as a transaction between them and God.
“There may be some times when someone comes for a thanksgiving and gives us some cash, and that is deposited, but ordinarily, what we said, no announcement of whatever the contribution has been made by the person who has made a contribution,” Muheri noted.
Ban on Harambees at Church
The government officially banned state officers and public servants from participating in harambees.
In a statement to senior government officers and heads of state corporations, head of public service Felix Koskei advised the state officers and public servants to observe and comply with the directives in line with President William Ruto’s remarks on July 5, 2024.
“In order to uphold the national principles and values of governance enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution and in various legislation including the Public Officers Ethics Act, the Public Service Commission Code of Conduct and Ethics, and the Public Collections Act, all public officers are required to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct and to secure their strict compliance with the directive as well as compliance by all officers under their supervision, direction, or control,” Koskei said.