Rev Sammy Wainaina Blasts Ruto Over Corruption, Accuses Church Of Being In Bed With Govt

• Rev Sammy Wainaina accused William Ruto’s government of reneging on its promise to reduce taxes when they were campaigning
• Wainaina slammed the notion that the church ought not to question the government, stating that it was in the rightful place of religious organisations to criticise the ruling powers
• According to the preacher, the government was hiding in Christianity to conceal its evil ways, like corruption and silencing the opposition

Nairobi - Fiery ACK cleric Sammy Wainaina has delivered a hard-hitting sermon in which he accused the government of failing to address the high cost of living and tolerating the rampant corruption witnessed in public service.

The cleric said that he was a politician as well as a theologian and that the church had a duty to engage in the governance of the nation.

He said the cry over the high cost of living and the depreciation of the Kenyan shilling against the dollar were pertinent issues that the government seemed to have turned a blind eye to.

“They were part of the previous government, which they accused of overtaxing Kenyans. What is happening today is that the load of taxes is even higher. If you compare it with the world, the prices are going down. In Kenya, they are going higher, affecting the lives of the poor KenyansI,” the preacher said.

He also said that he was saddened by the ruling class, which did not seem to care about the depressing situation of the country and the weak parliament that the executive could use to add taxes to Kenyans.

He further lamented the cases of grand corruption that involved the government, such as the edible oil scandal, the crude oil scandal, and the spending of 2.2 billion in the office of the president and state house in three months, as highlighted by the controller of budget, Margaret Nyakango.

He said these were examples of corruption cases "in a government that looked very Christian".

Sammy Wainaina: Church in bed with government

He warned the government not to hide in Christianity, saying that Christianity was being men and women of integrity.

“I remember I told them not to hide in Christianity. Christianity is being men and women of integrity. You cannot use Christ to come to power. And then, when you get there, you become a corrupt leader. The context in Kenya is becoming even sadder. With the weakening of the opposition, while we should be having a very strong opposition by this time to check on the government, it's becoming weaker and weaker. And we can't hear the voice of Parliament, but also the schemes that you see to silence people,” he continued.

He also criticised the church for being in bed with the government and failing to challenge them. He said that the church had become recipients of government appointments and recognitions and that this was dangerous.

He said that corruption, if not careful, would permeate every part of the church.

He urged the church and the government to repent and serve the people with honesty and integrity.

“They can't challenge the government. They have become recipients of government appointments and recognitions, and that is dangerous,” he lashed out, adding that the same had happened to parliament, who he claimed can no longer check the excesses of the executive.

What Sammy Wainaina said about court cases against government

Additionally, he took issues with Ruto for threatening to deal with people who are going to court to block some of his pet projects, for instance, that housing programme that was declared unlawful by the courts.

According to the theologian, Kenya was a democratic nation where all citizens had a right to seek redress in court over matters they deemed pressing.

“The other day, I was reading of somebody threatening Kenyans not to go to court. Kenyans have the right to go to court. And leaders, political leaders, I wish they were hearing me, should never threaten Kenyans. They are there because we voted, and they are there as servants, not as bosses. No threats. What even threatens me now is when I hear the voice of the church being silenced,” he warned.