This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
Deputy President William Ruto has been known for his generosity to religious groups, donating over Sh200 million to churches since his re-election in 2017.
Now, Atheists in Kenya (AIK) have invited him to donate to their cause, saying they would like to tap into his philanthropic spirit.
AIK President Harrison Mumia said in a statement, "Indeed, since his re-election in 2017, Dr Ruto has been very generous to churches. As a society, we would like to invite the Deputy President to grace our event at Hotel Metro, Nairobi on September 14, 2019. We ask him to support us by way of donation so that our society can have funds to carry out its activities. We hold monthly events and we would appreciate his presence."
AIK, a registered society, has faced setbacks due to low membership and financial constraints, which have led to splits in its top leadership.
Despite this, the organization remains committed to its goal of promoting humanistic values on a secular basis and has called on Dr Ruto to support its efforts to set up non-religious institutions.
AIK has also pushed for the separation of religion from schools and government, and has called for the abolishment of religious studies on multiple occasions.
It remains to be seen if Dr Ruto will accept the invitation from AIK, which has openly distanced itself from religion.
