Archbishop Anthony Muheria has announced that the Catholic Church will no longer accept cash donations from politicians during church fundraising events, known as harambees. During an interview with a local station on April 21, 2026, he emphasized the church’s commitment to modernizing its donation process by encouraging contributions through cheques or bank transfers whenever feasible.
“We do not accept cash at our harambees. We prefer that all donations, whenever possible, be processed via cheque or bank transfer,” Muheria stated. This policy is already in effect for significant events, including family day collections, where parishes now present bank deposit slips, effectively making the process cashless.
The Archbishop acknowledged the challenges in verifying the source of political funds, expressing a desire for a reliable method to ensure the integrity of donations. “I often wish I had a way to confirm the legitimacy of the funds; however, we rely on the conscience of the contributor. We encourage that, whenever possible, donations should come through cheque or bank transfer,” he explained.
Muheria also highlighted the importance of privacy in charitable giving, stating that the church will not announce the amounts contributed by individuals. He described the act of giving as a personal transaction between the donor and God. “While there may be rare occasions when someone gives cash for thanksgiving, we maintain that there should be no public announcement of any contributions made,” he noted.
In a related development, the government has officially prohibited state officers and public servants from participating in harambees. Head of Public Service Felix Koskei issued a directive to senior government officials and heads of state corporations, urging them to adhere to compliance measures aligned with President William Ruto’s comments on July 5, 2024.
“To uphold national principles and values of governance as outlined in Article 10 of the Constitution, as well as in various legislative frameworks including the Public Officers Ethics Act and the Public Collections Act, all public officers must maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct. Compliance with this directive is mandatory for all officers under their supervision,” Koskei stated.
