A prayer to God to provide a husband for Charlene, the daughter of President William Ruto, has sparked a flurry of online reactions in the country.

Charlene was among thousands who attended a mass prayer meeting by American preacher Benny Hinn over the weekend in Nairobi.

The President, First Lady Rachael Ruto as well as Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his wife, Dorcas, were also present.

As the preacher asked for those with prayer requests to come forward, Charlene rose up, seeking prayers for the calling she said she has for young people. The preacher prayed for her and later asked if there were any special requests. She whispered into his ear before he continued praying: “Give her a husband that will fulfil that call with her. Lord send that young man her way, that will be a strength to her, a great supporter,” Benny Hinn prayed.

“She can’t do this alone, Lord, she is going to the battlefield to win souls… she needs a husband soon.”

This prayer for a husband got Kenyans talking – some criticising, some sending their marriage proposals to her, some mocking her.

“My name is Omwamba, a hustler and I am reaching out to you after witnessing your heartfelt request for a husband during your prayer session with the Pastor Benny Hinn.

“I was moved by your sincerity and the faith you demonstrated yesterday and God has sent me your way,” X.

Some have been supportive: “There is nothing wrong with Charlene Ruto asking Benny Hinn to pray for her to get a good husband. Marriage is sacred,” another Kenyan said.

Charlene caused a stir two years ago she was accused of using public money to fund what was referred to as the “Office of the First Daughter”.

Charlene had held several high-profile events and meetings under the title in the months after her father was elected President.

Political functions

In Kenyan law, no such office exists. Many Kenyans online expressed anger over her engagements, asking who is funding them.

Some described her as a “low budget version of Ivanka [Trump]”, who regularly attended political functions while her father Donald Trump was US president.

Some nicknamed her Quickmart Ivanka – referencing the Kenyan supermarket.

But Charlene remained unperturbed, tweeting a video of herself smiling, while walking around the grocery chain.

She been meeting leaders across the country and attending international forums with foreign dignitaries after her father became president.

In one video shared widely online Charlene was seen speaking to an audience at a summit in Tanzania where she introduced her “team from Kenya” including her adviser and another who is the “head of trade and investments at the Office of the First Daughter”.

The audience appear to respond loudly with claps and some laughter. “I don’t get what is funny,” She responded as she attempted to continue with the introductions. She became one of the top Twitter trends in Kenya as people asked whether she was using taxpayers’ money.

She responded with a statement saying: “The Office of the First Daughter is a private entity. It is neither a constitutional office nor is it being funded by the Kenyan taxpayer.”

She went on to explains that her “office” had an “independent structure and facilitators” and praises its “objectives of championing youth based agendas and climate change advocacy”.

Communications strategist Mark Bichachi told the BBC: “If it’s a private entity, why call it that? Use a private name, it’s tied to her father being president.” While political commentator Daisy Amdany said Charlene was “within her rights” to do whatever she wants but warned that she needed to be careful about the image she is portraying: “It offends the public that her father ran on [a] platform of ending dynasties and it looks like they want to establish dynasties, I don’t think it is okay.

“She probably means well, but it doesn’t come across well,” Ms Amdany continued.