This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On October 2, 2019, a group of preachers from Rift Valley, calling themselves 'Rift Valley Church leaders,' accused Deputy President William Ruto of neglecting churches in the region.
Their claims were met with mixed reactions, with some locals in Bomet County renouncing the group led by Bishop Fredrick Maritim.
A video of the group's press conference in the south Rift town went viral, with many ridiculing their claims.
According to a handwritten statement read by the group, they asked, 'When will our day come, because we also have churches in Rift Valley like the rest, we have projects in churches across the Rift and needy students sponsored by men of God.'
Bishop Maritim responded to critics, saying their call was genuine and not a ploy to milk the deputy president or play politics.
'That was not the full message; our main agenda was to tell the politicians who visit churches not to raise any political issues in the places of worship,' Maritim told Nairobi Journal.
Maritim also faulted critics who claimed his voice did not represent the region, saying his experience and leadership in church matters made him qualified to speak on behalf of the Kalenjin community.
