Nestled along the rolling Sagalla Hills near the Kenya-Tanzania border, the parish of St. Mark’s Teri, Sagalla, was little known until one of its members, Mwabili Mwagodi, burst onto the national scene last June.
President William Ruto, whose evangelical faith is central to his political image, was attending the consecration and enthronement of the Rt. Rev. Samson Mburu Gachathi as the third Bishop of Nyahururu. The 39-year-old hotelier arrived from the Kenyan coast to protest what he considers a desecration of the altar at Christ the King Pro-Cathedral in Nyahururu.
Amid the presence of Mwagodi and several other protesters, who began fervently chanting against what they described as the government’s punitive tax regime, the president briefly addressed the congregation and quickly exited from the town, declining to also give a speech to local residents, as is the norm on such occasions.
“We were outnumbered by cops, including those in riot gear,” said Mwagodi, who had been denied entry to the cathedral after announcing on his X account that he was coming to reclaim the church from politicians.
“There were more cops than citizens. Two roadblocks had been mounted to nab us. We were under siege. I was scared. Young men and women had traveled from all over Kenya. Everyone was waiting for me to provide leadership. Out of nowhere, one of us shouted, Reject! We were immediately surrounded by cops. I won’t lie to you [that] I was ever courageous. The president was evacuated. We had fun. That was how the movement to liberate the church from political corruption was born.”
Mwagodi said his actions in Nyahururu were triggered by a government that had repeatedly claimed it inherited devastating debts and empty coffers in 2022, yet was now making lavish gifts in places of worship and talking down to congregants.
“Media reports of politicians living flashy lifestyles and dishing out unexplained millions in fundraisers at churches each Sunday troubled me,” he said. “Every Sunday, politicians were on an altar somewhere, peddling lies while making hefty donations.”
Two days after the Nyahururu showdown, angry youth — who described themselves as without tribe, leaders, or parties — stormed Kenya’s Parliament in Nairobi, resulting in an estimated 60 deaths and President Ruto’s withdrawing the legal framework for his tax proposals.
It was the first time young Kenyans had forced a president’s capitulation in such dramatic fashion. The Gen-Z Movement, as it has become known, has since sparked similar protests in Uganda, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.
Mwagodi used his X account to chide more churches. “I started writing open letters to additional congregations, including those within my own [Anglican Church of Kenya], which I felt was supporting the government,” he said.
For Anglican congregations, Mwagodi would begin by informing readers that he was a baptized and confirmed member of St. Mark’s Teri. He would add that his father had served the church as a lay reader for 25 years until his recent retirement.
Two Roman Catholic and three Anglican bishops engaged with Mwagodi respectfully, he said.
Lavington United Church in Nairobi was the next congregation to be caught in his crosshairs just a few days after the Nyahururu incident.
“The pastoral team and Church leadership cordially invite you to a fundraising event to complete our sanctuary on June 30, 2024, from 10 a.m. at Lavington United Church,” an invitation by the Rev. Simon Mutahi said.
“The Chief Guest will be Her Excellency Mrs. Rachel Ruto, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya. Your presence and generous contribution will be highly appreciated.”
Mwagodi quickly responded via X: “Good evening, Reverend Mutahi. My name is Mwabili Mwagodi. I am the person who started the campaign to get rid of politicians from Church pulpits in Kenya. I see here you have invited Mrs. Rachel Ruto to your Church for a fundraiser. This message is to notify you that we are coming for the fundraiser. God bless you.”
Others Kenyans on X quickly sent similar greetings to Mutahi. Two days before Mrs. Ruto’s visit, Mutahi responded that the fundraiser was cancelled.
Everything appeared to be on an even keel in subsequent months, until news broke on November 17 that President Ruto and Nairobi City Governor Johnson Sakaja had jointly donated 800,000 shillings ($6,223 USD) for the parish choir and missionary council of Saints Joachim and Ann Soweto Catholic Parish.
Reports also said the president had donated 2 million shillings ($15,558 USD) toward construction of the Catholic pastor’s house, with pledges of an additional 3 million shillings.
Mwagodi urged the pastor to reject the donations and pledges.
“Politicians are most welcome to attend Church for their spiritual nourishment, but they are encouraged to do so as ordinary Christians, without leveraging their positions for political gain,” the Most Rev. Phillip Anyolo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Nairobi, said on November 18 as he turned down the donations.
Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit of the Anglican Church of Kenya spoke out on the same day: “The Anglican Church of Kenya takes great exception to reports in some section of the media, which seems to indicate that [Anglican bishops] do not agree with the Catholic bishops for calling out the government on a number of issues facing the country.”
“The bishops have spoken the minds of Kenyans and faithfully expressed the truth as things are on the ground. No amount of attacks or intimidation will deter the church from calling out evil and speaking the truth to power.”
Ole Sapit added: “Let the political class and those in government come down from their high horses, listen for once, rather than seemingly perpetuate the commonplace culture of impunity. The governed do not need lectures but services and honest engagement. Please concentrate on providing leadership in a meaningful way and first tackle the myriad of problems that is bedeviling the country.”
Comparisons between the Anglican and Catholic churches are common, owing to their historic dominance in Kenyan missions and their role in expanding the nation’s democratic space in recent decades.
Mwagodi believes Kenya’s Anglicans found courage after seeing Roman Catholics defy the state.
“Of course, Catholics are more influential, with an extensive reach across Kenya,” he said. “But I don’t think it was a case of too little, too late for Anglicans. There was immense political pressure; the President has a lot of sway over churches. I can empathize with the primate trying to gauge where we are headed as a church. It was an issue of timing. But it was the right decision.”
Mwagodi suggests that St. Mark’s Teri provides a model of what self-sustenance for the Church in Kenya might look like to limit over-reliance on politicians.
“The church has to look beyond its immediate locality,” Mwagodi said. “In our case, those in the diaspora support struggling villagers to meet funding obligations. No politician is involved. No self-glorification, lies, and propaganda. Politicians can give quietly and speak outside the church. The pulpit should remain holy.”
Mwagodi urges disillusioned youth not to give up on the church.
“It needs us now, especially when we see some clergy who are still eager to entertain the theft of public resources. Sustain the fight. Take the heat for a day, but keep on fighting,” he said.
He said five men visited his mother on October 17 and vowed in her presence to kill him.
“They informed her that she would hold a funeral service for me,” he said. “This is serious. It is not a joke. Slowing down means they win. Let them come for me. They know where I work and what I do for a living. I am way beyond ready for that. I am aware that my communications are monitored.”
Jesse Masai is TLC’s East Africa correspondent, a longtime journalist and communications professional who has worked in South East Asia and the U.S., as well as in his native Kenya.