This archive report was first published on 4 August 2019.
Published on August 4, 2019, by Makau Mutua, a SUNY Distinguished Professor at SUNY Buffalo Law School and Chair of KHRC.
The Kenyan Church has a long and complex history, but its current moral crisis is a stark reminder of the need for accountability and transparency. The conflation of piety and politics by clerics and corrupt politicians has led to a situation where the Church is seen as complicit in the corrupt practices of its benefactors.
At the center of this controversy is William Ruto, the country's Deputy President, who has been accused of donating large sums of money to Kenyan churches on Sundays. The clerics have received these donations as though they were manna from heaven, with some receiving tens of millions of shillings. The question on everyone's mind is: where does Ruto get the money to make such colossal donations?
Ruto's denials of corruption have been met with skepticism, and his failure to produce an audited account of his wealth has raised more questions than answers. The law requires that every public officer declare their wealth on the pain of perjury, but Ruto has refused to do so. This has led many to believe that he has something to hide.
The second, and more important, question is directed at the Kenyan Church and its leaders. Why are they accepting money whose source is murky at best and criminal at worst? Would Jesus aid and abet money laundering, if that's what's actually going on? The Church's silence on this issue is deafening, and it raises serious questions about its morality and integrity.
A Faustian bargain is a deal with the devil, and it's a pact done by people without conscience. In it, morality is a word that's unknown. If the Church can't distinguish between a simple right and a simple wrong, then it's not a house of God, but the Devil's den. It's fighting not to save the souls of men, but to win the hearts of Lucifer and his disciples.
Makau Mutua is SUNY Distinguished Professor at SUNY Buffalo Law School and Chair of KHRC. @makaumutua.
