Clergymen urge Ruto to amend report on religious groups
By James Wanjiku, August 14, 2024A section of the clergy has told President William Ruto to recommend an amendment to the final report of the presidential task force on the review of the legal and regulatory framework governing religious organisations in Kenya.
Kenya National Congress of Pentecostal Churches (KNCPC) Nyeri branch members have opposed the report that was presented to President Ruto recently, terming it as punitive to the church.
The group, led by their director Archbishop Njoroge Munyori, presented a petition to acting Central regional commissioner Joseph Mwangi in his Nyeri town office yesterday, urging him not to endorse the report.
Archbishop Njoroge, who is the head of Four Square Gospel Churches of Kenya (FSGCK), argued that the report recommends blanket victimisation of local preachers.
“As spiritual leaders, we have a calling from God to transform people and bring them to the faith of Christ. Why should I be fined by the government for transforming people? Our mandate is to convert people and we will continue preaching for them to get back to Christ,” Archbishop Njoroge said.
“If the report is endorsed by President Ruto without necessary amendments, it will open war between spiritual churches and the government. We request for offerings and the faithful willingly give without any form of coercion of extortion. We oppose the report in its totality and we want this to get to the President through our regional commissioner,” he added.
Policy framework
The presidential taskforce which was chaired by Rev Mutava Musyimi recently presented the report to President Ruto, recommended the formulation of a policy framework to deal with religious extremism, cults, sects, and other similar outfits in the country.
The report read in part: “However, given that the legislative process for a new legal framework may take some time, there is a need to put in place interim measures to address the existing and emerging challenges”.
The Nyeri clergy have declined the recommendations to regulate them, saying that the proposed crackdown of the religious institutions by the government will be unfair.
“The proposal to deregister churches is uncalled for. We are able to regulate ourselves. We know the extremists and rogue preachers who are hiding behind the church and that is where the axe should be directed to. We had our own recommendations but they were not factored into the report,” Archbishop Njoroge said.