Task force reviewing laws governing churches to begin sittings on Monday-CS Kithure

The Interior CS, speaking at a church service in Kirinyaga on Sunday, urged Kenyans to turn out in large numbers to provide feedback to the Reverend Mutava Musyimi-led taskforce.

"From tomorrow, the taskforce established by the President to talk to the church and all stakeholders to come up with regulations on registration of churches will begin its sittings. I urge you all to turn up and give your views...'" CS Kindiki said. 

"From tomorrow, we begin a very important week in the history of our country. We have lost so many lives in Shakahola to radicalisation and indoctrination by a crook hiding behind scriptures. We must never again allow this to ever happen again," 

The tough-talking CS stated that the government will not allow a repeat of the Shakahola incident, and that it is prepared to deal with religious extremism in the same way that it has dealt with terrorism.

"The government will do whatever it can to ensure that never again will the kind of tragedy that occurred at Shakahola ever happen again...," he added. 

"There is no difference between what happened at Shakahola with terrorism. The same way we have viciously fought terrorism and violent extremism hiding behind Islam is the same way we will fight extremists and terrorists hiding behind Christianity and using the Holy scriptures to mislead our people," 

The task force's responsibilities include identifying gaps and recommending legal and governance changes to prevent religious extremism.

Additionally, the taskforce will inform the standards used to grant certificates to various religious institutions in the country.

They will also engage the public in various forums before submitting the report that will be adopted to guide the operation of religious institutions in the country.