Why Catholic church for Kenya reject $40,000 donation from President Ruto

Di Catholic Church for Kenya don reject one donation of about $40,000 (£32,000) wey President William Ruto give.

Im donate di money towards di building of one priest house and as gift to di choir during Mass on Sunday for di Soweto Catholic Church for di capital, Nairobi.

Di donation follow recent statement by Catholic bishops, wey bin hit out to goment for failing to fulfil dia electoral promises.

Churches bin don dey under pressure dis year from young anti-tax protesters wey dey accuse dem say dem too dey close to politicians.

Afta President Ruto donation on Sunday, wey spread evriwia, many Kenyans bin beg di Catholic Church to reject di money.

Di president bin give around 2.6m Kenyan shillings ($20,000, £16,000) in cash, and im bin pledge di rest of di money later and also promise to give di parish bus.

Di Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, Philip Anyolo, say dem go return di cash sake of "ethical concerns and di need to safeguard di Church so dat politicians no go dey use dem for political purposes".

Im also refuse di oda pledges and im tok say di donation of 200,000 Kenyan shillings wey di Govnor of Nairobi, Johnson Sakaja - wey bin attend di same service, with am donate, dem go also return am back.

Why di Catholic church reject di donations

"Di Catholic Church strongly discourage di use of church events such as fundraisers and gatherings as platforms for political self-promotion," Archbishop Anyolo tok.

Dis kain donations na breach of di church directives as well as di Kenyan law, im add.

Di long ties between churches and political institutions - for a kontri wia more dan 80% of di population na Christian - be like say e don dey reduce.

Three years ago, established churches bin ban politicians make dem no dey use di pulpit during services sake of say dem want do donations.

But e be like say di relationship bin still tight small - wit young demonstrators wey dey accuse di churches say dem dey side wit di goment wen dem bin decide to impose new taxes early dis year.

Under di social media hashtag #OccupyChurch, many pipo bin dey para for churches for failing to take dia side during di deadly protests wey bin happun in response to di planned tax hikes.

Di kasala bin force President Ruto goment to withdraw di controversial finance bill for July.

Den last week, Di Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops - wey dey represent all Catholic bishops for di kontri - bin accuse di goment say dem dey promote a "culture of lies".

For one statement, dem bin also raise issues about over-taxation, corruption, violation of human rights, freedom of speech, unemployment as well as di "crumbling" education system and healthcare services.

"Despite di calmness wey we dey experience, plenti anxiety dey and most pipo dey lose trust in di goment," Di statement tok.

In response, e be like say President Ruto hit back at di clergy, im tok say "we must dey careful to give factual information if not we go become victims of dis tins wey we dey accuse odas of doing".

One senator wey be goment padi-padi, Aaron Cheruiyot, also accuse di church of "misinformation", im add say di "clergy must avoid to dey push propaganda, fake news and falsehoods".

Many of di Christians for Kenya na Catholic - estimated to 10 million, about 20% of di population, according to goment statistics.

Oda Christians belong to different evangelical churches and oda denominations, including di Anglican Church of Kenya - wey dey defend di position of di Catholic Church.

Anglican Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit say di Catholic bishops bin reflect di feelings of many Kenyans.

"Calling church leaders names or dismissing di bishops dia statement as ‘misleading, erroneous and false,’ dey dishonest," im tok.

"Di [Catholic] bishops don tok di minds of Kenyans and faithfully express dia truth as tins dey for ground."