'Freedom of worship will be protected,' Ruto says amid push for regulation of churches

Speaking during a church service on Sunday in AIC Milimani, Nairobi, President Ruto stated that he will ensure churches are protected from freely practising their faith, firing a warning at those seeking to censure their practices.

"We will make sure that we protect the freedom of worship in Kenya. We will defend the right and the freedom of worship in Kenya and it will not be compromised in whichever manner," Ruto said.

"I want to remind those who are pursuing that kind of exercise that the constitution is very explicit on the freedom of worship and there will be no limitation whatsoever on the freedom of worship in Kenya."

President Ruto further noted that religious leaders should be allowed to develop their preferred policies on how they would want to be regulated.

The president's sentiments lie on the backdrop of a proposed draft law seeking to introduce a code of conduct that will require churches to submit financial returns every year to the government in a bid to tame religious extremism and extortion.

The draft Religious Organisations Bill, 2024 was presented to Mr. Ruto on July 30, the Presidential Taskforce on the Review of the Legal and Regulatory Framework Governing Religious Organisations in Kenya.

It proposes the establishment of the Religious Affairs Commission to oversee religious matters as every religious institution in Kenya will be required to furnish the commission with financial returns, accounts, register of members and other documents as required.

At the same time, a religious institution which fails to file its annual returns shall be suspended for a period not exceeding six months.

The commission shall comprise a chairperson appointed by the President; the Attorney-General or their representative; the Treasury Principal Secretary (PS), and the PS responsible for matters relating to internal security or his representative.

Others are a person nominated by the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya; a person nominated by the National Council of Churches of Kenya; another nominated by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and one nominated by a joint forum of Muslim umbrella religious organisations.

The Hindu Council of Kenya shall also nominate a person to the commission. It will also have the Registrar of Religious Organisations.

Per the draft law, the commission will be tasked with registering religious organizations, umbrella religious organizations and religious associations and providing oversight of religious affairs.

Further, the commission shall develop and implement a policy on religious organisations, advise the government on religious affairs, develop and publish a code of conduct for religious organizations and research matters affecting religious institutions and disseminate the findings.

“Sensitize the public on religious liberty, religious tolerance, religious extremism and abuse of the freedom of religion and belief; and the Religious Organizations Bill, 2024,” the proposal states.

The proposal has been harshly refuted by religious leaders as many have argued that it puts many religious organisations at a risk of facing closure.