A church donation by Kenyan President William Ruto has caused unrest in the country, the BBC reports. Protesters tried to storm a church that had received a large donation from the head of state. Police had to use force and tear gas to disperse them.
The protesters tried to enter the church and set it on fire. The demonstrators used stones to block roads. In the ensuing clashes with the police, some people were detained, the exact number of whom was not specified.
The donation of 20 million shillings ($155,000) to the “Jesus Victorious Ministry” in the Nairobi suburb of Roysambu has caused discontent among Kenyans struggling with the high cost of living. Ruto defended his actions and offered a similar gift to another church in Eldoret.
According to Ruto, the donation is an attempt to address the country’s moral decline. “Kenya needs to know God so that we can put to shame those who tell us we cannot communicate with the church,” he noted.
Last year, both Kenya’s Catholic and Anglican leaders rejected donations, arguing that there was a need to protect the church from being used for political purposes.
Kenyans were angered by a series of tax increases introduced after Ruto was elected in 2022. In 2024, a wave of nationwide protests forced Ruto to withdraw his finance bill, which contained a series of tax increases.
Photo: His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto was sworn in on September 13, 2022, after winning the Presidential election.
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First published in this link of The European Times.
