Church cancels fundraiser with Rachel Ruto as chief guest

Lavington United Church in Nairobi has been compelled to yield to pressure from Gen Z youths online and cancel a fundraiser for building the church, where the guest of honor was to be the First Lady, Rachel Ruto.

This cancellation comes at a time when the youths have decided to take to social media to announce an operation aimed at ensuring that politics is kept out of the pulpit and altars.

The pressure began after an invitation letter for the fundraiser, scheduled to take place on Sunday for the construction of the church, circulated on social media.

When people saw that the President's wife was the invited guest, they sent warning messages cautioning the church leadership against this move.

The invitation card, signed by Pastor Simon Muhati, reads: "The Pastoral Team and Church Leadership warmly invite you... to the fundraising event to complete our Sanctuary on June 30, 2024, starting at 10 a.m. at Lavington United Church.

The Chief Guest will be Honorable Rachel Ruto, EGH, Wife of the President of the Republic of Kenya."

The appearance of the fundraising invitation card online angered many Kenyans, who condemned the church for inviting Mrs. Ruto and threatened to disrupt the fundraiser on June 30.

Mwabili Mwagodi, who identified himself as a hostility management advisor on X, sent a brief message to Pastor Mutahi:

"Good evening, Pastor Mutahi. I initiated a campaign to remove politicians from the church pulpit in Kenya. I see here that you have invited Mrs. Rachel Ruto to your church for fundraising. This message is to inform you that we will be attending the fundraiser. God bless you."

@SokoAnalyst, an X user, also shared the invitation card, saying, "Dear Lavington United Church, please do not entertain child slaughterers and fraudsters.

If you allow this, then you will be complicit. This nonsense of giving politicians and their spouses a platform in church must stop NOW."

Amid public outrage over Mrs. Ruto's attendance, Lavington United Church announced the cancellation of the fundraiser.

"The Leadership and Pastoral Team of Lavington United Church wish to inform members that the Fundraising Event scheduled for June 30, 2024, has been canceled," the church announced on Friday.

Kenya has been experiencing turmoil in the past week as youths have taken to the streets to protest the controversial Finance Bill, which increases taxes on goods.