A section of Embu clerics has petitioned President Uhuru Kenyatta to lift the six-year-old ban on the registration of new churches.
Led by Kenya New Life Ministry Archbishop Abram Njue, they asked why the government is still blocking registration of new churches yet non-religious organisations and societies continue to be registered.
Njue claimed that some of the organisations being registered have 'very suspicious motives'.
“It’s very disappointing to see that numerous youths who have graduated from theological colleges cannot open new churches owing to the ban, despite having the calling to serve God spiritually and help the needy,” he said.
He said the ban was a violation of the freedom of worship guaranteed by the Constitution.
The cleric regretted that the President is yet to lift the ban despite promising to do so during his 2017 campaigns. This had raised suspicions that the promise was a political gimmick.
Njue acknowledged that there are unscrupulous church leaders who mislead the faithful just like in other organisations, "but this should not make all churches suffer".
According to him, such persons should be punished individually.
The registration of churches was halted in 2014 for what the government said was increased radicalisation among religious groups.
There had been reports that several religious institutions and societies had devised morally unacceptable activities.
Edited by EKibii
