• The religious leaders drawn from various faiths met at Ufungamano House on Wednesday.
• They blamed the State for what they termed as a move to cover up the real problem by seeking to regulate religion.
Image: FILE
The clergy has called for an all-out crackdown on individuals in government who may have abated the illegal cultic activities at Shakahola Forest.
The religious leaders have called on government to hasten the ongoing investigations and hold all individuals who enabled the crimes perpetuated by Pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International presiding responsible.
"We call upon the government to expedite investigations and prosecute, not only Pastor Mackenzie and accomplices in his church, but also the state officers who have over the years facilitated him to engage in criminal activity through complicity or being compromised through bribery," the clergy said.
The religious leaders drawn from various faiths met at Ufungamano House on Wednesday.
They included Archbishop Martin Kivuva of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Canon Chris Kinyanjui of the NCCK and SUPKEM chair Hassan Ole Naado.
They said it was unsettling that the criminal acts carried out in Shakahola had been going on for over 20 years.
"Information publicly available shows that "Pastor" Paul Mackenzie has been arrested and treated casually on multiple occasions, but each time released to go and continue," the leaders said.
They further blamed the State for what they termed as a move to cover up the real problem by seeking to regulate religion.
"For this reason, we find that the narrative being driven that churches, and by extension, religion, need to be regulated is a façade meant to divert attention from the real problem, which is that the State has failed to play its role of dealing with crime."
Mackenzie was first charged in 2017 with allegations of radicalisation and promoting extreme beliefs.
He was also arrested and charged in 2019 but was on both occasions released on a bond term.
The Judicial Service Commission has already launched investigations into the judicial officers who handled the cases.
The clergy said they were consulting on self-regulation recommendations.
"On our part, we are continuing with internal consultations to structure self-regulation guidelines that will cater for all religions in the country. We will share these in due course," JSC said.
They further discussed issues on the socio-political state of the country, where they urged President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga to promote unity and peace in the country.
On the issue of the state of economy, the clergymen called on the government to explain to Kenyans on the way out of the crisis.
The men of cloth further urged Kenyans to embrace peace.
"For us to build our nation together, we continue to encourage our fellow citizens to sustain the commitment and determination to remain peaceful and calm despite the challenges and provocations," they said.
"It is to our credit as a nation to always follow the inspiration recorded in the Bible and the Quran."