BY: GEORGINA WANGUI
Our church is hosting a super Harambee (fundraiser) this coming Sunday to raise funds for a bigger sanctuary (we congregate in a nursery school; I for one think it’s cute, but you know churches and their expansionist policies)
A very important guest will be in attendance, and I am very
conflicted about his possible presence on Sunday.
You guessed it!
It’s our very own deputy president of the Republic. If
you’re Kenyan, I’m sure you didn’t have to try that hard to figure it out. His
name has become synonymous with church fundraisers lately, so, it’s pretty
obvious I was referring to him.
Now, I am not trying to be sanctimonious or anything, because
even I have a past,
and the church accepts my offering every single Sunday. So why should she react
differently when it comes to the deputy president’s contribution?
Well, for starters, there’s the nagging possibility that the
money he’s dishing out to all of these churches is part of his ill-gotten
loot (he’s perceived to be one of the most corrupt individuals in
the country;- where there’s smoke, there’s always fire, people).
I have heard some of the older congregants brush this off
claiming that ‘everyone steals’. I don’t think that’s true, and
even if it were, shouldn’t the Church be standing up against this vice.
How?
Not accepting stolen public loot from corrupt politicians
seems like a very great place to start, don’t you think?
I mean, how can the Kenyan religious fraternity claim to be
admonishing corruption and at the same time be in the front lines when it comes
to receiving ‘alleged’ proceeds of corruption?
I have raised this question in regards to the deputy
president’s impending visit to our tiny church, and this is the response I keep
receiving:
‘At least he is returning some of the money back to the
public. He’s better than those who don’t return anything‘.
Wow!
This is just sad.
We have grown so accustomed to being stolen from as a people
that we applaud those who steal from our public coffers and ‘return’ a
negligible proportion of it as charity.
And, it’s not like this charity comes without strings
attached.
Of course, he’s doing this for political goodwill. He knows
with the Church’s support, it’s much easier to win his desired political post.
Otherwise, he would have contributed silently without all of this hullabaloo.
And, how can we criticize someone when we have already
accepted money from him?
I feel like his (and other politicians’) donations
have the potential to gag churches disabling them from ever criticizing bad
governance.
Knowing all this, how can I possibly in good conscience,
appear on Sunday and perform my deacon duties?
I am so troubled…so, so, so troubled!!