A fundraiser at Gusii Stadium presided over by Deputy President William Ruto on Saturday, March 30, has sparked internal wrangles within the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church.
The harambee in which Ruto gave Ksh13 million, has put the South Kenya Conference on the spot for breaking a long-held doctrine of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.
“We are still numbed by this action because our stand is well known when it comes to conducting our affairs on Saturday. This is a day fully given to God. We cannot even negotiate for dowry on this day,” Sammy Masara, an SDA elder told Nation.
He argued that even Chief Justice David Maraga, during his interview for the judiciary position, explained that he would never handle a court case on a Saturday.
“It would be very difficult for me to sit on a Saturday to hear a case. I would rather talk with my colleagues in the court to exempt me from sitting, if the hearing extends to a Saturday,” Maraga had stated.
“I think the Chief Justice summed it all. It is beyond our understanding when church elders hold a harambee on our sacred day. We are still waiting to hear why they went against the very basis of our faith,” Masara commented.
Of the Ksh13 million Ruto donated, Ksh10 million was to be used in the construction of the SDA headquarters and Ksh3 million in support of Nyanchwa Girls Secondary School.
The DP later addressed the students and gave them Ksh100,000 “for their bread”.
Ruto noted that the construction of the headquarters had taken too long. According to a church committee, they needed Ksh30 million to complete the works.
The headquarters was commissioned in 2006 and various top leaders, including presidents, have contributed towards its construction.
