This archive report was first published on 21 August 2019.
On August 21, 2019, a group of clergy members from Kisumu, who had been receiving payments from former governor Jack Ranguma, sought the attention of Governor Anyang' Nyong'o.
They capitalized on recent demolitions, the planned taxation of boda boda cyclists, and a failed impeachment attempt by the county assembly to convince Nyong'o that these issues were the work of the devil, necessitating special prayers.
Despite their efforts, the governor initially ignored them. However, after a breakfast meeting at a hotel in Kisumu, where they prayed and cursed Nyong'o's detractors, including Senator Fred Outa, they were left disappointed.
Each cleric was given Sh2,000, a paltry sum compared to the Sh10,000 to Sh20,000 they had been receiving during Ranguma's tenure. The governor's gesture was seen as an insult, with many clerics expressing their disappointment and frustration.
Some clerics, however, left the meeting with a glimmer of hope after Nyong'o agreed to officiate fundraisers in their churches once they set a date.
As one cleric lamented, 'We had anticipated Sh20,000 each from the governor, and the Sh2,000 he gave us was a total mockery. We wonder why he wanted to be prayed for while he couldn’t afford the exercise.'
