The bishops’ stinging statement was followed by the Church’s rejection of a $40,000 (£32,000) donation that Ruto made when he visited the Soweto Catholic Church in Nairobi last Sunday – with the Archbishop of Nairobi “citing ethical concerns and the necessity that the Church not be used for political purposes”.
Many Christians in Kenya are Catholic; according to government statistics, this is about 10 million people, or 20% of the population.
Other Christians belong to a variety of evangelical churches and other denominations, including the Anglican Church of Kenya and the Presbyterian Church.
And the Catholic Church in Kenya’s influence extends beyond its congregations, thanks to its broad investments in education, health care and other social programs.
The country is also angry over the chaotic transition to a new social health insurance system, with the government owing millions of dollars to faith-based hospitals.
The bishops’ outspoken assessment of the state of the country has reminded Kenyans of the role church leaders played in pushing for a return to multiparty democracy in the 1990s.
Brave clerics like Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki of the Catholic Church, Alexander Muge, Henry Okullu and David Gitari of the Anglican Church and Timothy Njoya of the Presbyterian Church fearlessly challenged the repressive and one-party system of then President Daniel arap Moi.
But analysts say that under Moi’s successors – Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, both Catholics – the clerics lost their voice.
“Things got even worse under President William Ruto as key elements of the church were seemingly co-opted into the feeding trough,” veteran journalist and columnist Macharia Gaitho wrote this week in the Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation, suggesting that “churches were being bribed to silence” .
The Catholic bishops’ position has drawn support from other denominations and from Muslim clerics – despite the widespread faith-based support that Ruto previously enjoyed for his hardline stance on gay rights and his conservative views on abortion.
A joint statement by some Pentecostal and evangelical leaders praised the bishops for their courage and also for “doing the unthinkable” by rejecting Ruto’s money.
Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, head of the Anglican Church of Kenya, who led national prayers on the day Ruto was declared the winner of the presidential race, joined Catholic bishops in condemning what he described as “escalating misgovernance, impunity and widespread rights abuses “.
“Under the circumstances, we should not simply fold our hands and pray for miracles,” Ole Sapit said, adding that the Catholic bishops reflected the sentiments of many Kenyans.
Baptist cleric Daniel Wambua added that religious leaders were now determined to end the “transactional relationship” with the state.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Abubakar Bini, chairman of the North Rift Council of Imams and Preachers of Islam, urged the government to view the bishops’ comments as advice rather than criticism.
Initially, Ruto and his allies hit back, with one of them accusing the bishops of spreading ‘misinformation’.
But analysts say Ruto, who regularly uses the scriptures to respond to critics, should be wary of direct confrontation with churches as even smaller churches can have thousands of followers that could negatively impact his re-election bid.
The president is already facing rebellion in parts of his 2022 political strongholds following the ouster of former Vice President Rigathi Gachagua last month.
They fell out over the handling of the anti-tax demonstrations, which have rocked Ruto’s government to its core.
A close ally of the president, MP Oscar Sudi, has gone to X to eat a simple cake, apologizing to the Catholic bishops on behalf of the government.
Ruto himself appears to have since softened his response to the growing criticism, saying he has heard the clerics and is ready to move on.
“We have made undeniable progress in our country. However, much remains to be done. We must continue to work together to accelerate fulfillment of our commitments and transform Kenya,” he tweeted on Thursday.
What Kenya’s first evangelical Christian president must accept is that the churches he used so successfully to win the state house could well help oust him at the next election.
“He knows he can’t fight the church,” Mr Gaitho said.
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