DP William Ruto mourns Bishop Shem Shamalla

DP Ruto mourned Priest Shem Shamalla via his Twitter account. [Courtesy]

Deputy President William Ruto has mourned the death of the African Church of the Holy Spirit high priest Shem Shamalla.

Shamalla, 84, died on Wednesday morning, October 27, at his Malava home in Kakamega County.

On Thursday morning, October 28, Ruto took to his official Twitter page to eulogise Shamalla as a “faith leader with steadfast religious credence”.

“[I am] deeply saddened by the loss of high priest Shem Shamalla of the African Church of the Holy Spirit – Kakamega. He was a faith leader with steadfast religious credence. His sermons were always powerful, enriching and educative,” he said in his tweet.

He added: “Our prayers [go out] to the Shamalla family, the church and the people of Malava during this painful time of mourning. Rest in peace, my friend.”

In an interview with The Standard on Wednesday, Bishop Samson Khalwale, the church’s secretary, said Shamalla died after a short illness.

Shamalla hit media headlines on September 18, 2021, when the DP visited the Malava-based church as part of his countrywide campaigns ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Shamalla was gifted a sport utility vehicle – Suzuki Escudo – by Ruto.

The church’s doctrines do not allow the bodies of its members to be preserved in morgues.

That means Shamalla’s body will be preserved at home until Saturday, October 30, when he’ll be buried.