• He said there are individuals exploiting the Bible for commercial enterprise and to promote criminal activities warning the government was out to eliminate them.
• Gachagua said this even as he cautioned against blanket condemnation of churches and the clergy over the Shakahola deaths.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on religious leaders to support the government's plan to review regulations governing religious organizations. https://rb.gy/hbanz
Image: DPCS
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on religious leaders to support government's plan to review regulations governing religious organisations.
Gachagua said this even as he cautioned against blanket condemnation of churches and the clergy over the Shakahola deaths.
“The information being sought by a Taskforce formed by President William Ruto is intended to help streamline the registration and records of the religious groups,” he said.
He said there are individuals exploiting the Bible for commercial enterprise and to promote criminal activities warning the government was out to eliminate them.
His statement comes barely a day after his wife, Pastor Dorcas Gachagua, strongly criticised the government over its intention to regulate churches.
Speaking at Christian Church International in Kiambu Tuesday, Pastor Dorcas said divine matters should be left to religious leaders.
"If you get one person who is doing the wrong thing, get that one person, it is wrong to have everybody together and make a denomination or even a religion, you say all this people are criminals. Even when we have children, they are all different," she said.
Gachagua, however, said that the government will continue defending the Constitutional Freedom of Worship.
The DP made the remarks during the memorial service of John Njoroge Ndung'u, father of Juja MP George Koimburi, at Full Gospel Church Matangi-Kimbo in Kiambu.
"Nobody is fighting the Church at all but there are two or three people amongst thousands of preachers who are using the Church to drive criminal activities. Even in the government, health and the media there are rogue people. The rogue elements in the church will be dealt with individually," he said.
Stating that the government will not allow criminals and extremists to hide behind religion, the DP maintained that those responsible for the events leading to the Shakahola massacre will be held personally liable for the deaths.
“We are not going to punish the church because of an individual's behaviour. Those who mislead the faithful must be isolated and take responsibility as individuals," Gachagua said.
"Majority of our pastors are good people, 99.9 per cent of them are good. Allow the government to weed out the 0.1 per cent that is giving the Church of Christ a bad name," he stated.