In Kenya, where there are more churches per square kilometer than industries and schools, pocketing millions every week, churches must be treated as industries. There must be order in religion in Kenya. Do we have a sane church in Kenya or are they money making schemes? Giving unto Caeser should not be selective! Unregistered churches, coercion and manipulation in religious organizations must face the law. The church is not bigger than the laws of Kenya, and in this, they must shape up or shape out. The exploitative activities of religious organizations must be stopped.
Regulating religious institutions in Kenya is a step in the right direction. Protecting public safety remains very important in times where the Shakahola massacre highlighted the dangers of unchecked religious extremism.
The need to oversight the churches helps prevent radicalization, cult-like behaviour, and abuse within religious organizations.
In the Shakahola recommendations report, where lives of Kenyans were lost and buried, regulation of religious organizations and institutions was highlighted as key.
Lives would not have been lost in this massacre if the church was regulated. Some religious groups have been accused of financial exploitation, misleading followers, or engaging in harmful practices. Regulations ensure transparency in financial dealings and prevent fraudulent activities.
Should churches in Kenya pay tax?
If the church wants to get involved in our judiciary and government policy, then it’s only fair that they start paying taxes for this privilege.
Also Read: High Court Stops KRA From Taxing Churches
The church is not above the law, and moreover Kenya is a secular state as identified in Article 8 of our Kenyan constitution.
In addition, the Kenyan Constitution recognizes Kenya as a secular state, meaning there is no official state religion.
Article 8 explicitly states that there shall be no state religion, ensuring that the government does not favor or impose any particular faith.
Therefore, regulation of Kenyan Religious Institutions is progress and a step in the right direction.
Ensuring accountability means registering and meeting ethical and religious standards. This prevents individuals from using religion as a cover for illegal activities.
While Kenya upholds freedom of worship, regulations ensure that religious institutions operate responsibly and ethically.
We need to protect citizens while respecting religious diversity.
Exploitative clerics
Religious leaders who continue to perform fake miracles, healings and extort Kenyans should be guilty of an offense.
Preventing religious exploitations by enforcing penalties for fraud, false miracles, and coercive practices is needed.
The church and its commercial operations must be stopped. The church’s role in governance issues has also been weakened when they continue to side with the oppressor and not public interest. Transparency in religious organizations is needed.
Notably, churches collect so much money from its congregants and platforms. Even Jesus did pay taxes! In Matthew 17:24-27, there’s a story where tax collectors ask Peter if Jesus pays the temple tax.
Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish, and inside its mouth, Peter finds a coin that covers both Jesus’ and Peter’s tax payments.
Also Read: Murkomen Reveals Plans to Regulate Churches in Kenya
In another instance, when asked about Roman taxes, Jesus famously said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:15-22).
For generations, the church regulated what women could wear to the altar, if they could divorce, ex-communicated single mothers, insisted on purity. Now, why are they afraid of a little regulation by government? Do they have anything to hide?
While the church has failed to self-regulate, the government must step in and regulate them. We have seen how religious leaders continue to take advantage of gullible citizens by opening a church to get rich.
In bed with government
The clergy have continued to sanitize this government, now it’s their turn, they must be accountable to Kenyans.
Politicians use the church to buy and brainwash masses. The church has been the biggest beneficiary of money from politicians.
Isn’t this propagating corruption by receiving its proceeds? This is the church in corruption. They build schools that the believers’ children cannot even afford.
No subsidized services in their hospitals, they cannot do business and not pay taxes for that.
Stealing in the name of the lord must be stopped. Selling hope to the poor, money laundering and cultism like the Shakahola massacre must be stopped.
The church has failed to do its role and turned to political scavengers. For Kenya to realize its full potential, we need to regulate registration and oversight of religious organizations.
A law to streamline the religious culture in Kenya is paramount. The reintroduction of the religious organization bill should be brought back to parliament to be debated and adopted.
This article was written by Alvin Mwangi, Young Christian Nairobi, Kenya.
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