Kenya’s First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto, has faced criticism over her recent statements linking the strengthening of the Kenyan shilling against the US dollar to prayer and divine intervention.
She has also been bashed for attributing Uganda’s agricultural prosperity to historical religious interventions.
Mama Rachel, known for her steadfast humility and devout Christian faith, openly embraces her religious beliefs through public declarations and unwavering prayers.
However, these recent remarks have ignited a heated debate, with some commending her faith while others condemning her for making unsubstantiated claims.
In response to the controversy, the Atheists in Kenya Society voiced their concerns, stressing the need for evidence-based solutions to tackle real-world challenges rather than relying on faith-based explanations.
Atheists Society Issue Statement
In the statement issued on April 17, the Atheists Society emphasized the importance of factual accuracy and rational policymaking, urging leaders like the First Lady to base their statements on evidence rather than supernatural beliefs.
“As a representative of our country, the First Lady should rely on facts and promote rational policies, not magical thinking. While faith has an important role to play in Kenya, we must address real-world problems with evidence-based solutions,” The Society’s President, Harrison Mumia, stated.
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Mumia further argued that attributing economic success to prayer and religious movements risks portraying Kenya as unscientific and backward on the global stage.
“By attributing economic outcomes to prayer or religious movements decades past, the First Lady does a disservice to Kenya’s progress as a modern nation.”
“Leaders who ignore reality and praise miracles make us look unscientific and backward on the global stage,” he added,
Mama Rachel Ruto’s Prayer Based Economic Explanation
On April 13, while attending the empowerment projects launch for women, youth, and people with disabilities in Kajiado, First Lady Rachel Ruto credited prayers for the strengthening of the Kenya Shilling against the US Dollar.
During her speech she emphasized the government’s resilience in overcoming challenges through prayer, noting how various obstacles, such as a recent drought, were successfully addressed through prayer.
“When the drought came along, we turned to God in prayer, and he graciously answered with the rain we are currently experiencing.”
“We have also seen the Kenyan shilling strengthening against the US Dollar, from 165 to 145 then onto 135, 130 and it will keep gaining value. So, I ask if not God, then who else?” she posed.
Rachel Ruto’s Remarks on Uganda’s fertility
Similarly, in a recent prayer event held on Monday, April 15, the first lady claimed that Uganda’s fertile land and plentiful rainfall were a result of divine blessings, which she believes were bestowed upon the country through the East African revival prayers of the 1930s.
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In her speech she highlighted the contrast between Kenya and Uganda’s agricultural practices, which do not rely on fertilizers, suggesting that Uganda’s agricultural success was a result of divine intervention rather than farming techniques.
