THE President of Kenya, William Ruto, has defended plans to build a new church at his official residence in Nairobi, at a cost of $9.3 million.
It is intended to replace a small corrugated-iron church already in the grounds of the State House, and which President Ruto has committed to fund himself. The plans have been criticised by church leaders who fear that the project will complicate the separation of Church and State in Kenya, where the constitution explicitly forbids a state religion.
The Anglican Archbishop, the Most Revd Dr Jackson Ole Sapit, said: “The church is a sanctuary for worship, and it is supposed to be set apart from any unholy use, representing the kingdom of God. When you have a church at the State House, which kingdom does it represent?”
It follows recent guidance from the National Council of Churches of Kenya which sent a pastoral letter asking congregations to “sanitize” themselves from political interests with the reminder that churches were not for “self aggrandizement and money making” (News, 4 July).
The Church of Nigeria has followed suit and banned politicians from addressing congregations to score party points.
The Primate, the Most Revd Dr Henry Ndukuba, said that there had been concerns about politicians using church services as political platforms. The new guidelines were published after an incident at St James’s, Asokoro, in Abuja, when a government minister at a thanksgiving service launched a political attack against the Labour presidential candidate Peter Obi, saying that Mr Obi would “never be President”.
The memo on the guidance sets out the Church of Nigeria’s commitment to being open to all. “The church remains open to all persons, including politicians and government officials. . . However, the church must not engage in or promote partisanship,” it says.
The new guidelines have been sent to all parishes. They include the proviso that any guest addressing the congregation must first speak to the church leadership for appropriate guidance first, and that politicians and government officials must be informed that church platforms must not be used for partisan speeches or to disseminate political propaganda.
Church leaders must also avoid any statements that could be interpreted as politically biased, and not “eulogise or exalt any guest in a manner that might bring the Church into disrepute”.
Guests should not use the church lectern; “as it has been consecrated for the reading of God’s Word”.
The Church affirms that it will continue to engage with the government on issues that affect society. “The Church remains committed, under God. . . upholding the nation in prayer, and offering godly counsel to those in positions of authority.”