The Catholic Church has categorically denied claims that the Pope issued instructions to reclaim a vehicle gifted by Deputy President William Ruto to Archbishop Philip Anyolo of Kisumu. The denial came as tensions escalated between Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga over the nature of the donation.
Archbishop Anyolo clarified during his January installation that he received two vehicles, neither of which he personally owns. 'They are property of the diocese,' he stated, emphasizing that the cars were not private assets. One vehicle, a Prado V8, was donated by Catholic faithful, while the other—provided by Ruto—remains unregistered and unused.
Cardinal John Njue, head of the Catholic Church in Kenya, told Nation that no communication had been received about returning the gift. 'I am not aware of how the comments came about,' he said, dismissing allegations of a papal directive. The archbishop added that the Church lacks mechanisms to verify if gifts stem from corruption, making such actions 'not an easy task.'
