President William Ruto yesterday maintained that he will continue raising funds for churches, days after the Catholic church rejected his cash donations.

Speaking at the Kipsitet Primary School grounds in Kericho county during an interdenominational prayer service on Sunday, Ruto maintained that he had no apologies to make for raising funds for various church projects, citing biblical teachings extolling the virtue of giving rather than receiving.

Said Ruto; “We have absolutely no apologies to make as we give to God because God gave first. We understand the word of God enough to know that it is more blessed to give than to receive and that is what we are going to do. We will build our churches and we will work together to spread the word of God. I have been building churches for over thirty years and I have never lacked because I know the secret in giving and I know what it does.”

He maintained that giving to the Church for God’s work is expected of Christians and emphasised that he would continue as he has been doing for 30 years.

The President noted that the Bible teaches about giving, saying that God was an excellent example of giving.

President Ruto cited himself as a product of giving and said: “I, William Ruto, I am a product of giving. I have built several churches, and I have never lacked.”

He went on: “We are going to give for the building of the Church and for God’s work. Our salvation is a product of giving. It is God who gave first. That is why we have the privilege to know Christ.”

The president appeared to respond to a statement issued by Nairobi Catholic archbishop Philip Anyolo rejecting President Ruto’s cash donation to the church.

In the statement, Archbishop Anyolo said the church would also refund Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s Sh200,000, which he donated when he accompanied President Ruto to a Catholic church in Nairobi’s Soweto neighbourhood a week ago.

Ruto’s donations

President Ruto’s donation included Sh2 million for the construction of the parish priest’s house, with a pledge of an additional Sh3 million to complete the project. Anyolo explained that the donations from the two senior government officials contravened the Public Fundraising Appeals Bill 2024.

The bill, under consideration by Parliament, stipulates that any person who solicits or receives money or benefits while conducting a fundraising appeal must adhere to strict guidelines, whether the appeal is direct or indirect.

“The Church is called to uphold integrity by refusing contributions that may inadvertently compromise its independence or facilitate unjust enrichment. Political leaders are urged to demonstrate ethical leadership by addressing the pressing issues raised by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops,” said Anyolo.

He added that the money already received would be refunded to the respective donors.

The statement emphasised the importance of preserving the Church’s independence and sanctity, highlighting ethical concerns surrounding political contributions. 

“The bishops have consistently maintained a firm stance on the matter of politicians donating money to churches, highlighting the ethical concerns and the need to safeguard the church from being used for political purposes,” Anyolo said.