Pastor appeals to Ruto to help secure jobs for daughter, youths

ACK Pastor presiding over Church Service in Othaya / Screengrab

An Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) pastor on Sunday made an unusual public appeal to President William Ruto, urging him to intervene in securing employment for university graduates from his congregation.

Addressing the President during a church service, the pastor said although many parents had successfully educated their children through to university, job opportunities remained scarce, leaving families frustrated.

The Pastorsingled out several cases, among them a young man scheduled to attend an interview at the Kenya Maritime Authority.

He appealed to the President to “look into his matter,” framing the request as a way to promote hope among Christian youth.

“Those who we took to school have finished university. The others whom we took to school have not yet been employed.Now President Ruto, you are a member of our church, and it is not good to see other congregants unemployed when you have the ability to help them,” he said.

In a rare personal disclosure, the pastor also asked Ruto to consider his daughter noting that she holds a university degree but has struggled to secure work.

“We also have my daughter, if I’m requesting work for others, please consider my daughter also. She has a degree; I will be happy. If you consider her, I shall be praying for you day in day out,” he said.

The Pastor added that continued prayers for the President would follow any assistance rendered.

This is even as Kenya’s job market continues to absorb only a fraction of the country’s growing cadre of graduates, prompting repeated calls for government-backed pathways into public service and emerging industries.

Ruto on Sunday attended a church service at ACK St Paul’s Church Kariki, Othaya, Nyeri County.

Ruto flew into the county and was received at the church by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

Other leaders who received the President included Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga and Nyeri Woman Rep Rahab Mukami.

The President has recently traversed counties to preside over the disbursement of business start-up capital under the NYOTA Project.

The disbursement is part of a week-long national rollout under Phase Two of the project that will see about 50,000 young Kenyans across 27 counties receive start-up capital and financial inclusion support.

Each beneficiary under the programme is receiving Sh22,000 deposited into their NYOTA Pochi la Biashara wallet to boost enterprise formation, while an additional Sh3,000 is being channelled into their Haba na Haba savings account under the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

The initiative is managed by the State Department for MSMEs Development and seeks to empower vulnerable youth in all 1,450 wards of the country, with a minimum of 70 beneficiaries per ward.

Beneficiaries are required to have completed a three-day business skills training before receipt of funds.