Raila Odinga: Quash rules on churches

CORD leader Raila Odinga addresses journalists after a meeting with church leaders at his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi Wednesday. [Photo: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Opposition leader Raila Odinga has asked the Jubilee administration to quash new rules meant to regulate religious organisations.

Speaking at a meeting with church leaders at his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi Wednesday, Raila said Attorney General Githu Muigai and the Communications Authority of Kenya must withdraw new regulations that impose controls on the church.

Raila cited the Constitution in Article 8 and 32 (2) that provides for the freedom of worship, saying the church should not be controlled by the State.

He dismissed recent calls by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto urging the Attorney General to consult religious leaders on the rules. He said the two should have stopped the rules when they were presented before the Cabinet.

Regarding rogue preachers, Raila said there were existing laws to deal with them without victimising the whole church.

"The Government can deal with the rogue preachers as criminals. There are enough laws to deal with criminals under penal code," said Raila.

The CORD leader said the State was encroaching on the freedom of Kenyans, noting that the Government had no business in regulating how to worship.

He added that taxing churches was illogical since they were in the business of spiritual nourishment and moral character influence.

Religious leaders, led by World Harvest Church Bishop Imoite Papa, urged the Government to repeal the regulations targeting the church.

Bishop Imoite maintained that individual clerics should be punished for their sins but not their respective churches.

The leaders argued that the regulation to ban televangelism because of asking for contributions from faithful was depriving them of revenue to pay for the TV programmes.

The clerics were categorical that the requirement that preachers should have a degree or certificate in order to preach was in bad faith, adding that preaching was a divine calling that should not be pegged on academic qualifications.

"We were not consulted and for the Government to turn around and agree to meet us when they have already published the rules and regulations is not being honest," said Imoite.

Already the ODM party has came to the defence of religious organisations over what they termed as an attempt by the Jubilee government to muzzle freedom of worship.

ODM argued that the use of draconian laws to emasculate and control religious organisations was unconstitutional and must be resisted by all means possible.