A political lobby has called for rejection of a proposed legislation meant to rein in rogue preachers, claiming it is a pretext to control religious organizations.

The Aaca Movement comprised of communities from around Mt Kenya region, termed the government move as unconstitutional, harsh and punitive, claiming there was no public participation as required by law.

“The Kenya government is at advanced stages of enacting punitive laws against the Church on the lame excuse of taming rogue churches in the country. If the so-called rogue churches are engaged in any criminal acts, the police ought to go for them instead of targeting a whole religious sector,

“The criminals hiding behind religious organizations are well known to the DCI and other crime busters including the NIS, Provincial Administrators and nyumba kumi elders,” the group says in a statement released by Chairman Kimani Ngunjiri and Secretary General Stephen Ndicho.

Contravenes law

They maintained that if such persons contravene the law, then legal action ought to be taken individually to the culprits but not to target the entire religious sector with punitive measures of hefty fines and imprisonment.

“Aaca Movement has enjoined itself to those organizations in Kenya opposed to legislation of harsh anti-church laws.What the government is intent to do is to harass the Church and persecute it. We say No!” they added.

The group maintains that the constitution is clear on the freedom of people gathering either as one person or as a group of persons to worship God where the issue of registration isn’t made mandatory, noting that the intended legislation, if enacted into law poses a threat to the freedom of worship.

“The Church in Kenya should feel threatened by the government’s intended actions of attempting to control and regulate it, which leaves it with no alternative other than to seek legal redress, and where lawyers have been instructed to file petition against the intended punitive legislation,” the lobby stated.

The statement further reads; “Kenya is a secular state but wants to behave like some countries like Saudia Arabia and Iran which are religious states. Our  Movement says No to this attempt, and calls on government to leave the Church alone but go for individual criminals hiding behind the churches and arrest them.”

The lobby further calls on all Church organizations to sign petition papers being circulated through umbrella bodies instructing lawyers to seek legal action against the  government’s proposed action.