Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed as lies claims by opposition leader Raila Odinga that a car he (Ruto) gifted Kisumu Diocese Archbishop Philip Anyolo was rejected by the church.
In a stinging rebuke through his Twitter account, the deputy president accused Mr. Odinga of “spewing desperate lies” about the said vehicle.
Mr. Odinga on Saturday alleged that Pope Francis directed Archbishop Anyolo’s team to return the Ksh.4 million Mitsubishi Pajero to its giver.
“Public funds are being looted daily yet poor Kenyans are suffering. Every day, the prices of commodities are rising while graft perpetrators, who are known to the public, run to churches with stolen money.
“Recently, during the installation of Archbishop of Catholic Diocese of Kisumu, someone took a vehicle to the bishop as a gift. When the Pope was informed that the Archbishop had received a car gift, he [Pope Francis] ordered that the vehicle be returned. And, true to his instruction, the car was returned because it was acquired from proceeds of corruption.
“We know where that person stays, what he earns and what his wife earns. Where does he get the millions of shillings that he dishes out in churches? A time has come when every corrupt person should carry his own cross,” said Raila Odinga on Saturday, March 2, during the burial of former senior chief Daudi Owino Olaka at Lifunga Kobiero Village in Ugenya Constituency, Siaya County.
On Sunday, however, Ruto said several leaders including President Kenyatta took part in acquiring the car for Archbishop Anyolo.
“The master of deceit as always is spewing desperate lies. The car gift was bought by Christian leaders including UK (Uhuru Kenyatta) and myself at the request of the chair of Catholic MPsmps. Understandably Empowering the church offends magicians and the evil spirits they worship. Shetani ashindwe!” said the DP in a tweet that drew massive reactions.
Contrary to Odinga’s claims, Archbishop Anyolo explained that the vehicle was neither rejected by the church nor did he return it to the giver.
Speaking to Citizen TV, the Archbishop said he chose to donate the car to an institution which would benefit more from the it since by the time the DP was gifting him the sport utility vehicle (SUV), he was already “contented”.
Archbishop Anyolo says he uses a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 that the Catholic believers in Kisumu gifted him on his installation day in January this year.