Gachagua Tells Off Critics Over Ruto's Church Services Every Sunday
He further promised that this will be a routine...
Marvin Chege 
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday, February 5 ignored concerns by critics over the number of times he and President Wiliam Ruto have been attending church services on Sundays.
Since being sworn into office on September 13, 2022, the President has been holding various thanksgiving and prayer services during his travels across the country, in various churches in different counties.
Speaking during a church service at Deliverance Church in Ruai, Nairobi County, Gachagua took note of the number of times the critics, as well as the media, counting the number of church services President Ruto has been holding since he took power.
He further promised that this will be a routine; holding church services every Sunday, until the end of their current term.
DP Rigathi Gachagua and President William Ruto during a thanksgiving service at the Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok County on January 29, 2023. /RIGATHI GACHAGUA
“I have seen our distractors are very concerned that we come to church every Sunday. I read the papers and they said this is your 28th Sunday service since you came to office.
"I want to save them that task of counting, we will be in church for 52 Sundays every year, for the next five years,” Gachagua announced.
The second in command added that prayers were the focal point of William Ruto’s win in the 2022 election and that he would rely on prayers to gain wisdom to steer the country into economic prosperity.
In defence of the National Prayer Rally to be held next Sunday in Nakuru, Gachagua revealed that the county was an important venue for the event because of a promise they made during the 2017 campaigns.
“Nakuru is important, in 2017 Uhuru Kenyatta and you (William Ruto) went to Nakuru and prayed for victory, and you made a commitment that if God gives you the victory, you shall return to Nakuru,” he opined.
However, their promise did not materialise because of the influence of Azimio leader Raila Odinga, whom he claimed had derailed Uhuru into thinking that the promise was not a must, thus failing to return to Nakuru, which contributed to the country's economic crisis.
"However, after March 9 when Raila came to the government, he convinced our former President that prayers were not necessary. We tried to ask him to go to Nakuru to say thank you but he could not hear,” he lamented.
“The country faced unprecedented problems after we cheated God that we will go to say thank you. The country got into an economic crisis, businesses were destroyed, goods were torched, women were evicted from their homes in the night during the pandemic, and brother turned against brother. We are going to Nakuru because God granted us victory in 2022."
He stated that the purpose of the prayer rally was to give thanks to the Lord for the peaceful 2022 elections as well as a smooth transition of power.
"We want to request our spiritual leaders to intercede for this country to give us rain, to save our young people from illicit brews and drugs. The disease of cancer that has ravaged homes leaving death and destruction," Gachagua requested.
On February 2, Gachagua announced that preparations were underway for National Prayers Day which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in the Rift Valley. He further noted that President Ruto will grace the event as well as clergymen from the denominations in Kenya and will lead Kenyans from across the country in the national prayer.
"The National Prayers, which will be graced by our President, H. E William Samoei Ruto and attended by Kenyans from across the country will be a thanksgiving to God for a peaceful election and smooth transition. Religious leaders will also lead the nation in praying for rain after five successive failed seasons," he stated.
In addition, Gachagua noted that the prayers will be offered for a fast economic recovery as well as for saving Kenya's young population from illicit brews and drug abuse.
The clergy will also pray for the healing of the nation, from the scourge of cancer, as well as pray for continued peace and security for all communities to live together in harmony.
However, the Atheists in Kenya Society (AIKS) was opposed to the planned National Prayer Day, terming it as a waste of taxpayers' money and a deviation from its campaign promises including tackling high unemployment levels and improving the economy.
