Teso Pentecostal bishops and pastors have urged President William Ruto to engage directly with grassroots churches, accusing the government of neglecting pentecostal denominations in matters of national engagement and support.
Teso Bishops and Pastors Fellowship chairman Moses Omuse said pentecostal churches deserved equal treatment with mainstream denominations from the government.
He spoke during a meeting at Harvest Miracle Church in Amagoro.
“We pray for this nation, we pay taxes, educate children and serve communities, yet when it comes to government support for churches, we are left out. Our position is that we are not complaining. We are not bitter. We are only asking for equity,” Omuse said.
He cited a fundraising event held last year where, according to the fellowship, 40 churches received Sh2 million, while one denomination received Sh10 million in a single sitting.
Omuse urged the President and other leaders to recognise the contribution of churches, saying their influence should not be measured by the size of their buildings.
He called for a consultative meeting between the government and pentecostal leaders, saying the churches wanted a seat at the national decision-making table.
Omuse said such engagement would help address their concerns and ensure pentecostal churches were not left behind in national development and religious engagement.
“All we are asking is this: give us a seat at the table. Be fair to all churches. Do not judge the ministry by the size of its building, but by the size of its impact,” he said.
“The church belongs to Christ, not denominations. Pentecostal pastors are on the ground. We are in the villages, in the slums and in the prisons. We counsel the broken, bury the dead and pray for our leaders day and night.”
The fellowship represents more than 67,000 believers across Teso North, Teso Central and Teso South.
Omuse said the decision to raise the issue followed what he described as continued exclusion since last year’s fundraising.
“We have been watching what is happening since last year when we had the first fundraising. Leaders are not giving the President the right information,” he said.
Teso pastors chairman Dennis Etyang said Pentecostal Christians felt increasingly ignored despite their support for the government.
“We are crying for the President to also remember pentecostal churches. We are praying for you, we voted for you. As Pentecostals, it appears we have been locked out,” Etyang said.
Akaton Barasa said grassroots churches continued to face infrastructure challenges, including a lack of access roads, water and electricity.
He said churches continued to pray for peace in the country, as well as wisdom and knowledge for the President.
Pastor Jane Akacho said Pentecostal churches were tired of being ridiculed and having their churches referred to as kiosks.
Pastor Renice Otere called for justice in Kenya, saying voters often felt abandoned by leaders after elections.
Otere also condemned the deadly violence in Homa Bay that claimed four lives and left scores of people nursing injuries.
She urged the government to ensure those involved were held accountable for activities that risk pushing the country into anarchy.
