Churches urged to initiate self-regulation before state initiates crackdown

Nyeri, Friday, April 28, 2023,

K.N.A, By Wangari Mwangi and Yvette Kimani

Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto, has asked churches in Kenya to come up with a mechanism to self-regulate before the government puts in place a mechanism to control their activities.

Mr Wandeto argued that the freedom of worship is already guaranteed in the constitution and as such religious institutions are best placed to keep themselves in check.

The MP equated the recent calls to regulate the church as a breach to this freedom and urged the umbrella bodies such as the National Council of Churches (NCCK) to move with speed to crack the whip on rogue religious leaders.

“I want to urge you in your own way, start working on self-regulation. I would also like to urge you to do it very fast. You have to quickly create a curriculum that tells us who can be a pastor,” said the first time MP.

“The umbrella bodies must strengthen our theological colleges so that the people preaching to us are qualified. One cannot do a three weeks online course and start calling themselves Bishop Doctor somebody, so please start working on self-regulation because we do not want outsiders to be the ones regulating you,” added Wandeto.

Further, the legislator equally urged the NCCK to spearhead the proposed audit on religious leaders.

Wandeto was referring to utterances made by Nyeri Catholic Archbishop, Anthony Muheria who called for the audit of all religious leaders to establish the source of their wealth.

 Archbishop Muheria said the audit would expose rogue people masquerading as preachers and who are hiding behind religion to lure Kenyans into poverty by monetising religion.

On his part, the Tetu MP said that by allowing the state to manage churches, the country would be creating what he called a police state.

“The NCCK, the Catholic Bishops Secretariat and all other umbrella bodies should be the ones going into these churches and smoking out all these preachers who are basically killing and exploiting people in the name of God. But ,I would not like to see policemen with guns and in uniform coming to stop sermons midway because something is amiss because we will have created a police state,” he stated.

The legislator was speaking at the Nyeri Golf club on Friday during the annual county prayer breakfast whose chief guest was the spouse to the Deputy President Pastor Dorcas Rigathi.

Also present were civil servants from various national government ministries and state departments, the judiciary, and the local administration led by the Nyeri county commissioner Pius Mugambi.

Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga, county government employees as well as members of the county assembly were also present.

The ninth annual prayer meeting was also attended by MPs Rahab Mukami(Women Rep), Njoroge Wainaina(Kieni),Duncan Maina(Nyeri Town) and Eric WaMumbi (Mathira).

The Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi while defending religious leaders said that the Shakahola Massacre should not be used to brand all preachers as rogue.

While echoing the Pastor Dorcas Rigathi’s sentiments that Paul Mackenzie should be treated as an individual, the Mathira Mp said that each leader found on the wrong, should carry their own cross.

Regarding regulating religious activities, Wamumbi also revealed that proposals to regulate the church were being mooted by parliament adding legislators would push for the protection of genuine preachers.

“We are going to stand with good men and women of God who are preaching the word of God and we are going to defend that even in parliament. Something is coming up in parliament where we are going to somewhat regulate the church but rest assured we are going to stand with the religious leaders,” said Wamumbi.  

So far, 103 bodies of people believed to be followers of Paul Mackenzie’s controversial teachings have so far been exhumed from the 800-acre Shakahola forest in Kilifi County.