I’m proud to be President of a religious country – Ruto

President William Ruto now says that he is proud to be a leader of a religious country.

Speaking on Tuesday night, when he hosted Iftar dinner for Muslim leaders at State House, Nairobi, Ruto described Kenya as a deeply religious country, stressing that citizens should not take their freedom of worship for granted.

“I am very proud as president of this country that I lead a religious nation, and I want to tell you that we must never take it for granted that we have the freedom of worship in Kenya and that we can worship God however we want,” he said.

The President said Kenya is privileged to be a nation that openly practices its faith.

He added that the country is much better when it believes in God because a country that does not believe in God has no future.

“To continue not just believing in God, but doing something about it, because we are all the better as a nation if we believe in God. A nation that doesn’t have God in its equation is a nation that has no future,” Ruto said.

Ruto noted that while Kenya enjoys freedom of worship, it remains the only country where religious leaders are sometimes opposed to people supporting religion.

His remarks come amid moves by various churches to ban politicians from addressing congregants during church services and prohibited the public recognition of their donations.

The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit insisted that even President Ruto is not exempt from the rules.

“We have said that even if the President was here, we will still do the same. Because we want what happens in the worship sanctuary to be respected, and other communication will be given out there because it would not be part of worship,” Sapit said during a consecration service in Nyeri County.

He has since denied politicians a chance to speak in church at least twice, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

However, their presence is acknowledged.

The directive was also given by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK).