National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has disclosed plans for the utilization of a donation from President William Ruto, which the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi rejected. Speaking during an Interdenominational Church Service in Kimana, Kajiado, on Sunday, December 1, Ichung’wah explained that the funds, which had not yet been returned to the President, would be redistributed once they are.
The Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) clarified that contrary to rumors, the donation has not been sent back yet. “I heard some people claim that the donation and pledge had already been returned, but that’s not the case,” he said. “The President made the donation, and then promised more in the future. Some say it has been returned, but it hasn’t even arrived yet. How can you return something that hasn’t been received?” he questioned.
On November 17, 2024, the Archdiocese publicly rejected several donations made at Soweto Catholic Church in line with the directives of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the Public Fundraising Appeals Bill 2024. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja had contributed Ksh200,000 to the Parish Choir and Parish Missionary Council (PMC), while President Ruto donated Ksh600,000 to the same organizations. The President also pledged Ksh2 million for the construction of the fathers’ house. Additionally, a Ksh3 million pledge for further construction and a donation for a parish bus were also rejected.
Ichung’wah, addressing the rejected donation, humorously offered a share of the funds to the bishops present at the service, should the money eventually be returned. “If the money you say has been returned, well, we know it hasn’t,” he remarked. “But when it is, I have a long list I’ll give to the President, asking for my share. I’ll make sure you all get a piece of the cake, since you’ve read the Bible so well, and the rest will go elsewhere.”
Nairobi Archdiocese Archbishop Philip Anyolo commented on the matter the previous day, confirming that the rejected Ksh5.8 million was ready to be handed back to the government. However, he noted that the church was waiting for official government instructions on how to process the return. He emphasized that the lack of guidance from government officials had caused delays in returning the funds.
The Archbishop reiterated that the church would not accept donations from leaders who cannot explain the source of the funds, a policy driven by efforts to combat corruption. “This is not the first time we’ve done this. It just gained attention this time due to media coverage, but we have always adhered to this principle,” Archbishop Anyolo said.
His comments followed assurances from leaders in President Ruto’s camp, led by Ichung’wah, who pledged to continue donating to the church.
