National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has revealed how a donation from President William Ruto, which was rejected by the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, will be used once it is returned.
Ichung’wah made the revelation during an Interdenominational Church Service in Kimana, Kajiado, on Sunday, December 1, which was attended by President Ruto and his political allies.
The Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) clarified that the Archdiocese has not yet returned the donation.
He questioned reports claiming the money had already been returned, stating, “But let me emphasize that it has not yet been returned.
You know I heard others say the other day that the donation has been returned, even the pledge.
The President gave out some amount and then said the next one would come later.
Later, there are those who say it has been returned, but it hasn’t even arrived.
How can you return it when it hasn’t arrived?”
On November 17, 2024, the Archdiocese announced it would reject several donations made at Soweto Catholic Church, in accordance with directives from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the Public Fundraising Appeals Bill 2024.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja had donated sh200,000 to the Parish Choir and Parish Missionary Council (PMC), while President Ruto had contributed sh600,000 to the same organizations.
The President also pledged sh2 million for the construction of the fathers’ house.
However, the bishops also rejected a sh3 million pledge for additional construction and a parish bus donation.
During his address at the church service, Ichung’wah joked about the rejected donation, telling the bishops present that he would make sure they received a portion of the funds once they were returned.
“If the money you were saying is returned, meaning you know it hasn’t been returned yet, if it is returned, I have a long list I will give to the President.
When he gets it, I’ll ensure you get a big share because you’ve read the Bible so well.
The rest will be distributed elsewhere,” said Ichung’wah.
On Saturday, Nairobi Archdiocese Archbishop Philip Anyolo confirmed that the rejected Ksh5.8 million is ready to be handed over to the government.
He stated that the Church is awaiting instructions from the government on how to return the funds, explaining that the lack of guidance from government officials has delayed the process.
Archbishop Anyolo reiterated that the Church will continue to reject donations from leaders who cannot explain the source of their funds, a stance driven by ongoing efforts to combat corruption.
“This is not the first time we are doing this. We’ve done it before, but it came out more explosively this time, and the media made it clear.
We shall continue with this policy,” said Anyolo.
This statement came just days after leaders from President Ruto’s camp, including MP Ichung’wah, emphasized their intention to continue making donations to the Church.
