'Sick nation': Why the church is calling out President Ruto

The Church has issued a damning indictment on president William Ruto’s administration, calling it out for human rights violations, runaway corruption and collapsed health and education sectors.

The Catholic Church and members of the National Council of Churches of Kenya separately gave a unanimous verdict of a sick nation under President Ruto.

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) officials, speaking in Nairobi, faulted Ruto’s administration, calling it out for “letting down Kenyans”, as it continues to ignore public concerns. 

And in Meru, the religious leaders under the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK-Upper Eastern region) also slammed President Ruto for steering the country in the wrong direction, terming it a ‘sick’ nation.

The Catholic bishops faulted the State for mishandling the Education sector reforms, accusing it of making decisions that address political expediency at the expense of learners, saying government actions were astoundingly confusing.

“The rationale, choices, and general development of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) that has now taken the Competency-Based Education (CBE) tag have been without clear guidance to the teachers, parents, and students,” they said. 

KCCB Vice Chairman Anthony Muheria said: “This is a risk to the future of the children going through a system, with no clear end expectation. There is still contestation in the syllabus including the inclusion of Religious Education.”

According to the clerics, school administrators (heads) have been left running institutions without funds as capitation delays and cannot charge parents extra fees.

“We should not gamble with our children’s lives,” they said, urging the government to deploy teachers without discriminating other areas. 

On healthcare, they decried the debt owed to faith-based hospitals by Social Health Authority (SHA) and the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). 

“We ask that the matter of huge uncleared NHIF dues be fast-tracked and paid. Many faith-based hospitals are on the brink of closing due to unpaid claims.”

The bishops said: “Debts owed to the faith-based hospitals in huge billions of shillings by SHA and NHIF is crippling the health institutions to say the least. Our hospitals cannot pay suppliers,” said Muheria. 

“The government needs to move with speed to have this matter addressed expeditiously,” Muheria added, maintaining that the funds paid to the facilities are insufficient to even pay for hospital staff salaries. “They are too insignificant,” he said.

KCCB is also disturbed by the wanton corruption “deeply embedded in government institutions, crippling service delivery and undermining national growth” even as they urged public officers to lead with integrity. 

They termed corruption the country’s biggest setback, citing Auditor General’s reports and other oversight bodies that have released damning reports on the vice. 

Public outcry

“Despite frequent public outcry, and our repeated calls in the past several years, we continue to witness massive corruption in government goes on unabated,” said Rev Philip Anyolo of Nairobi Catholic Diocese. 

He, however, expressed optimism, saying that the menace can be erased if public officers “lead by living with integrity and setting the tone for accountability.” 

“We cannot condemn corruption publicly while tolerating it publicly; integrity must be lived, taught, and defended with courage and consistency in all places.” he said. 

The Catholic bishops also raised concerns over enactment of punitive laws, failed health system, collapsing education sector and endemic corruption eating into the government.

On the laws, the bishops decried what they described as hurried crafting and enactment of the controversial Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) and Land (Amendment) Acts of 2025. 

They called for review of the laws and eventual repeal of its contentious clauses.

They warned that some punitive clauses of the regulation seek to erode the gains the country has made in its democratic space.

“It seems that the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act can be used to silence government critics, to abuse the right to privacy, or even to manipulate the electoral process,” said KCCB chairperson Rev Maurice Muhatia. 

Rev Muhatia called for public participation during the review process, noting that the public’s concerns ‘should not be brushed off’. 

“Without careful and meaningful public participation, laws can be counterproductive, eroding public trust in the government. We recommend the offending clauses be expunged and that specificity be provided on who the law targets,” he said.  

The men of cloth also want the same extended to include the Religious Organisation Bill, stating that while certain legislation is necessary, the government should “never be seen as attempting to regulate religion”. 

In Meru, the NCCK clerics cited a recent survey they conducted which found that 69 per cent of the respondents from the four counties ( Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo, Marsabit), rated the performance of the Kenya Kwanza government as below average and poor.

“In our assessment of the four counties in our region we found the majority of the residents are unhappy and feel poorer than they were one year ago. They feel the country is heading in the wrong direction and are deeply troubled about the rising cost of living and unemployment,” said Rev Nicholas Mutwiri of NCCK.

Mutwiri was among the delegates who attended a two-day forum at the Gitoro Pastoral Centre in Meru.

They accused the political class of advancing personal agenda at the expense of ordinary Kenyans.

“It is cruelty, and barbaric, for leaders to enrich themselves without caring about the plight of Kenyans,” the clerics stated

NCCK also expressed disappointment with early campaigns for the 2027 General Election, and called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to put a stop to the early campaigns.

“We remind all political leaders that they were elected or nominated to serve the nation, not win the next election. The early campaigns we are witnessing two years to the next elections are offensive to the voters who are your employers,” they said.

Mutwiri added: “We demand the early campaigns are stopped and call upon IEBC to deal firmly with any individual or political party that flouts this rule. We need to inculcate discipline in the political sector.”

They vowed that they would not allow the pulpits to be turned into political podiums by any leaders campaigning for votes from congregants.

The clerics said the only time politicians will be allowed to address worshippers was after the end of services and that will be outside the churches.

“All monetary and material contributions should be treated as offering and should not be announced or given with fanfare,” he stated, declaring that the churches will not endorse any leaders and political parties.

The religious leaders called on the youth to apply for national identification documents and register as voters ahead of the 2027 elections. 

“Lasting change is realised through both civic and democratic participation. Every young person’s vote is a voice of hope for a more accountable, inclusive and compassionate nation,” said Rev. Philip Anyolo of Nairobi Catholic Diocese.