Why the church is angry with President Ruto

NCCK Chairman Elias Otieno Agola addresses a press conference in Limuru on December 4, 2025. [Kimaku Chege, Standard]

President William Ruto’s administration has again come under strong condemnation from the Church, which has again accused the regime of failing to provide proper governance, accountability and mistreating the youth.

They also blamed Parliament for many of the ills bedeviling the country, arguing that it had failed in its oversight of the executive and in the fight against corruption.

In a strongly worded statement released by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) in Limuru on Thursday, the senior clerics also called on the youth to rise up against what they described as a “failed” administration.

They decried the sorry state of affairs, saying 77 per cent of the respondents were poorer today than they were one year ago and that 60 per cent of the population would not re-elect any of the current political leaders from the Member of County Assembly to the President.

“The government is perpetrating ills such as ushering in an unbearable cost of living, running down the health and education sectors and launching an abrasive attack on democracy,” the statement said.

They further claimed the country was currently a devastated nation, based on an assessment they carried across nine regions in the country.

NCCK Chairperson Elias Otieno, who read part of the statement, also claimed a survey they conducted revealed that 80 per cent of the people said the nation is heading in the wrong direction, while another 79 per cent indicated that their general mood is either depressed or unhappy.

“This state of despair and frustration, which is driven by injustice, is not sustainable. If the people of Kenya do not arise and rescue the nation, even the constitutional and legal bonds that bind the nation together shall fall apart,” read the statement in part.

The Church has become very vocal against vices committed by people they claim are State agents. In 2024, President Ruto came out to strongly defend himself against accusations by Catholic bishops that his government was peddling lies to Kenyans.

A statement from the Catholic bishops criticised the government’s tax policies, human rights violations and corruption. The 26 bishops representing their lobby group, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), also raised concern about state-sponsored abductions, enforced disappearances and torture linked to the youth protests and tax protests in June 2024.

And on Thursday, the NCCK leadership also noted that governance systems have failed largely because Parliament, an institution meant to represent the people, make laws and keep the executive in check, had betrayed them.

“The greatest sorrow in Kenya is that Members of Parliament have wholly failed the people of Kenya, lost legitimacy, and have become perpetrators of injustice. By passing unjust laws, Members of the National Assembly and Senate have forgotten the warning that God gave in Isaiah chapter 10,” added Otieno.

The Council also warned that the untenable cost of living was devastating families; the exit of multiple companies from the country due to a toxic business environment has led to massive unemployment, which has led to a radical drop in the purchasing power of citizens, further leading to the collapse of small and micro businesses.

“The result is perpetually increasing poverty, with the tell-tale characteristics of children dropping out of school, instability in families, depression, gender-based violence, and an increase in crime as people steal to make ends meet. It is a sad reality that the government keeps releasing reports that imply economic growth while people are suffering,” added the statement.

“We warn that the anger and despondency among Kenyans is a time bomb waiting for the slightest spark to explode.”

NCCK General Secretary Chris Kinyanjui pointed out the current administration’s continued efforts to erode democracy. Singling out the just concluded by-elections, he castigated the failure by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the police and other State organs to punish offenders.

Voter bribery

“Last week, Kenyans witnessed extensive voter bribery, use of State organs and institutions in the campaigns, mobilisation of violence across the nation, breach of the Constitution as State officers openly participated in campaigns, and outright declarations by government-associated individuals that they will rig elections,” observed Rev Canon Kinyanjui.

“What hope do Kenyans have that the 2027 General Election will be any different?” he asked, as he urged the youth to register as voters and to actively engage in political parties, communities and churches and take back their future.

“In human history, every generation faces a challenge that they have to overcome for their society to progress. It is in this context that the young people of Kenya in June 2024 successfully diagnosed the problem facing our nation and offered a viable solution. The youth must realise that the older population, who constitute less than 30 per cent of the population, will not create for you the Kenya you want to live in. You must do it for yourselves,” the church leaders said.

Pointing out the challenges afflicting the education sector, the Council regretted what has been “one of the worst years for the education sector in Kenya.”

“Capitation funds have not been released to schools, and when the release is done, the funds are seriously reduced. Tertiary education has suffered a similar fate, with lecturers being forced to strike for months on end. Students in universities have been denied access to education on account of an unjust funding model. Why is the government determined to undermine education?” Kinyanjui further asked.

And in the health sector, the Council told of a broken system where Kenyans are back to the days of holding fundraisers every day to cover medical costs despite being forced to enrol in the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHA) platform.

“Reports from across the country indicate that officials in the Social Health Authority (SHA) are demanding bribes to release remittances that are owed to health facilities. This is a further injustice given that many patients are being denied medical care. In addition, Kenyans are still perplexed by the opaque nature in which the SHA is managing the public health insurance,” added the prelate.

The President has had a good working relationship with Evangelical clergy, whose churches he has frequented to conduct fund drives. He has invited pastors to anoint and cleanse State House when he took office. They also conducted church services on State House lawns.

The NCCK, which was established in 1913, consists of 32 Member Churches, 13 Associate Members and 6 Fraternal Associate Members. Its contributions to democratic gains have been undeniable over the years, as it has been behind key reforms such as the promulgation of the new Constitution.