The stinging statement by the bishops was followed by the Church’s rejection of a $40,000 (£32,000) donation make by Ruto when he attended the Soweto Catholic Church in Nairobi last Sunday – with the Archbishop of Nairobi citing “ethical concerns and the need to safeguard the Church from being used for political purposes”.
Many of Kenya’s Christians are Catholic – about 10 million people, or 20% of the population, according to government statistics.
Other Christians belong to a variety of evangelical churches and other denominations, including the Anglican Church of Kenya and the Presbyterian Church.
And the Catholic Church’s influence in Kenya goes beyond its congregation owing to its wide investment in education, healthcare and other social programmes.
It has also been angered by the chaotic transition to a new social health insurance scheme, with the government owing millions of dollars to faith-based hospitals.
The bishops’ outspoken assessment of the state of the nation has reminded Kenyans of the role church leaders played when they pushed for a return to multi-party democracy in the 1990s.
Brave clerics such as Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki of the Catholic Church, Alexander Muge, Henry Okullu and David Gitari of the Anglican Church and Timothy Njoya of the Presbyterian Church fearlessly challenged the repressive and single-party rule of then-President Daniel arap Moi.
But analysts say under Moi’s successors – Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, both Catholics – clerics lost their voice.
“Under President William Ruto, things got even worse because important elements of the church were seemingly co-opted into the feeding trough,” veteran journalist and columnist Macharia Gaitho wrote in Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper this week, suggesting “churches were bribed into silence”.
The Catholic bishops’ stance has won support from other denominations, as well as Muslim clerics – despite the widespread faith-based support Ruto enjoyed previously for his tough stand on gay rights and his conservative views on abortion.
A joint statement by some Pentecostal and evangelical leaders hailed the bishops for their bravery and also for “doing the unthinkable” in rejecting Ruto’s money.
Head of the Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, who led national prayers on the day Ruto was declared winner of the presidential race, joined Catholic bishops in condemning what he described as “escalating misrule, impunity, and widespread rights violations”.
“In the circumstances, we should not simply fold our hands and pray for miracles,” Ole Sapit said, adding that the Catholic bishops reflected the feelings of many Kenyans.
Baptist cleric Daniel Wambua added that religious leaders were now determined to end the “transactional relationship” with the state.
Meanwhile Sheikh Abubakar Bini, chair of the North Rift Council of Imams and Preachers of Islam, urged the government to take the bishops’ remarks as advice rather than criticism.
At first, Ruto and his allies hit back – one accusing the bishops of spreading “misinformation”.
But analysts say Ruto, who frequently uses the scriptures to respond to critics, should be wary of a direct confrontation with the churches as even smaller ones can have thousands of followers who could negatively affect his re-election bid.
The president is already facing rebellion in parts of his 2022 political strongholds after the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua last month.
They fell out over the handling of the anti-tax demonstrations, which have rocked Ruto’s administration to its core.
A close ally of the president, MP Oscar Sudi, has taken to X to eat some humble pie, apologising to Catholic bishops on behalf of the government.
Ruto himself has since appeared to soften his response to the growing criticism, saying he has heard the clerics and is ready to engage further.
“We have made undeniable progress in our country. However, there remains much to be done. We must continue working together to hasten the delivery of our commitments and change Kenya,” he tweeted on Thursday.
What Kenya’s first evangelical Christian president is having to accept is that the churches he used so successfully to take state house could well help unseat him in the next election.
“He knows he cannot fight the church,” said Mr Gaitho.
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