Harare — The well-known televangelist Benny Hinn revealed that First Lady Rachel Ruto had invited him to organize a national crusade funded and backed by the government, The Standard reports.

In a sermon, Hinn broke the news by announcing that Mrs Ruto had personally flown to visit him and his team in the US to extend the invitation to lead a crusade that would be supported by the government. Around the same time, he planned to organize a crusade in Uganda.

The First Lady frequently works with Christian leaders, as seen by her invitations to evangelists and gospel entertainers to the State House when her husband, William Ruto, was inaugurated as president. The news prompted mixed reactions, with some Kenyans opposing the use of public funds for religious purposes. They expressed dissatisfaction, saying the money might be used for better things as the nation was dealing with far more urgent problems.

"Something amazing happened, the First Lady of Kenya flew from Nairobi to New York, just for one reason to ask me to come back to Nairobi for a national government-sponsored crusade," Hinn told his followers.

"Hold onto your wallets, Kenya! Benny Hinn, the snake oil merchant himself, is heading our way, and guess who's picking up the tab? That's right, it's all on us, the hardworking taxpayers, thanks to First Lady Rachel Ruto. Get ready for the spectacle, complete with those infamous fake miracles," Mkulima Mdogo said on X.

"Mama Rachel Ruto will waste millions of taxpayers money to host Benny Hinn in a useless crusade to pray for Kenya when the problem is clearly her husband. I hate this Hypocrisy," @magwaz3 posted on X.

"Tell Rachel Ruto and Benny hinn that religion is a  bad mentaldisease we must cure our generations in East Africa and Africa ... we want to make things happen not to pray to wish things could happen... If the first lady of Kenya has no purpose she can stop representing Kenyans," Teddy Kimani said.

He did not reveal the dates and the venues for the crusade.