What was scheduled as a routine prayer ceremony at State House on Tuesday quickly turned into a searing moral rebuke, as Bishop Dr. David Oginde, Chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), delivered a fiery sermon against corruption — in front of the country’s top leadership.
The event, meant to mark the presidential assent to the Conflict-of-Interest Bill 2023 and the Social Protection Bill 2025, took a dramatic turn when Bishop Oginde took to the podium to offer an invocation.
Rather than delivering a standard prayer, the bishop launched into a blistering condemnation of graft, drawing powerful parallels between biblical judgment and Kenya’s ongoing struggle with corruption.
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“You are the same God, oh Lord, when Ananias and Sapphira conspired to cheat the leaders of their time. Your judgment came upon them. They died in the presence of many,” Oginde proclaimed, his voice ringing through the State House ballroom as top officials looked on in growing unease.
Drawing from Acts 5 and the betrayal of Christ in the Gospels, Oginde invoked Judas Iscariot’s downfall:
“It did not benefit him. The land he bought with that money is where he later committed suicide.”
He did not stop there. With the room held in stunned silence, Oginde warned of modern-day counterparts to these biblical figures:
“There may be individuals, couples, or even entire families conspiring to steal the little this country has.”
The statement, perceived by many as a thinly veiled rebuke of certain individuals in government, quickly rippled beyond the walls of State House.
Social media exploded with praise for the bishop’s boldness, with hashtags such as #OgindePrayer and #StateHouseMoment trending by evening.
In a closing plea, Bishop Oginde asked for divine and judicial accountability:
“As our President signs this law, may his signature be from heaven and backed by the force of heaven. Let those who steal not only be judged in court, but also by God.”
Notably, President William Ruto remained seated throughout the prayer — a detail that did not escape the attention of sharp-eyed Kenyans online.
In contrast, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and several Cabinet Secretaries stood solemnly during the sermon-like prayer.
The president’s seated posture drew mixed reactions. Some interpreted it as a gesture of discomfort; others suggested it was a show of indifference or even defiance. No official comment has yet been issued from State House.
The bold prayer comes at a time when public frustration over corruption scandals is reaching a boiling point.
From inflated government tenders to the misuse of public resources, Kenya has in recent years seen a series of exposés and arrests, but little in the way of lasting reforms.
Political analysts are already hailing Bishop Oginde’s prayer as more than ceremonial.
“This was not just a prayer — it was a moral indictment,” said Dr. Roselyn Simiyu, a governance expert. “It may go down as one of the most daring public condemnations of corruption we’ve seen in a formal government setting.”
As Kenyans continue to debate the moment online and in boardrooms, many are asking: will this spiritual warning lead to real accountability, or will it be yet another symbolic gesture lost in the archives of unheeded prophecy?
Only time — and the courts — will tell.