President William Ruto has reassured religious organisations that the government will not interfere with their running.
Speaking during celebrations to mark 73 years of the existence of the African Divine Church (ADC) held at the Nairobi Primary School grounds, Ruto acknowledged the work of churches in developing the country.
“As a government, we acknowledge the work of the church and we respect the place of worship. I want to assure that the place of worship will not be undermined,” he stated.
Ruto said his administration will work closely with churches and other religious organisations in serving Kenyans.
“We are going to partner with the church in all areas of our development programmes. We also want to thank you for the contribution in education and health sector,” he added.
Barely a month ago, Ruto assured religious leaders that his administration would determine their regulations following the tabling of a contentious Religious Bill 2024.
The President vowed to protect the freedom of worship stating that it is enshrined in the Constitution of the Land.
“As a government, we respect our Constitution. The preamble of the Constitution of Kenya says God of all creation. That is the beginning of the Constitution of Kenya meaning that we surrender to God,” he stated.
“We will make sure that we will not compromise and that there will be no limitations or compromise on freedom of worship in Kenya.”
He maintained that there should be extensive public participation with religious groups on how they want to be regulated.
The Religious Organisations Bill 2024, proposed by Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana, has so far faced resistance from religious groups across the country who term it as punitive.
Under the bill, religious leaders who perform miracles to extort money from congregants might face a Sh5 million fine, a 10-year imprisonment, or both.
The Bill provides for the establishment of a registry of religious organisations, such as churches, which would have the power to grant or revoke the registration of religious organisations and religious leaders at any time.
