Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has urged Kenyans to actively participate in submitting their views to the Mutava Musimi-led taskforce on laws governing religious organisations.
Speaking Monday during the commissioning of the Taita Sub-County Police Headquarters and Police Station in Taita-Taveta's Wundanyi, Kindiki confirmed that the schedule for public hearings by the taskforce, established by President William Ruto, has been published
While commenting on the Shakahola Forest massacre that lifted the lid on the operations of the starvation cult led by controversial televangelist Paul Mackenzie, of Good News International Church, Kindiki assured Kenyans that no such tragedy will befall Kenya again.
"I want to appeal to all Kenyans to submit their views to the taskforce. Any person trying to hide under religion to cause pain and torture our people must be severely punished," he said.
The Interior CS appealed to religious leaders in the country to collaborate with the government in its efforts to root out unscrupulous preachers who have continued to mislead their followers in the name of the scriptures.
By looking to reform the religious sector, Kindiki maintained that the move is not in any way meant to victimize the church but rather streamline its operations to shield Kenyans from been taken advantage of by rogue preachers pursuing their selfish interest.
Kindiki clarified that the intention behind the taskforce's work is not to victimize the church but to streamline its operations and protect Kenyans from manipulation by rogue preachers pursuing selfish interests.
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"99 per cent of the religious leaders are honest people who add value to the lives of our people. I ask them to help us expose, isolate, and punish the small minority of crooks hiding behind scriptures," Kindiki said.
Kindiki's appeal comes a few hours after the task force on the review of the legal and regulatory framework governing religious organizations called on the public to submit their proposal on changes required to curtail religious extremist organizations.
The 17-member committee chaired by Reverend Musyimi has called for written submissions submitted physically at their secretariat based at Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) or electronically to run from June 13 to August 8 this year.
Even as the public is submitting their hard copy memoranda, the task force will be holding county-based citizen engagement across the 47 counties in a notice submitted.
"In line with the constitutional imperative of ensuring wide consultation and public participation, the taskforce invites institutions, organizations and individual to submit their comments on our website religiousorganizations.taskforce@headofpublicservice.go.ke," stated the advertisement.
The task force will engage the public in various forums with the first engagement to commence in Kilifi County on June 13, before submitting the report that will be adopted to guide the operation of religious institutions in the country.
The task force's main responsibilities will include identifying gaps that have allowed extremist religious organizations to set up shop in Kenya, as well as formulating a legal framework preventing radical religious entities from operating locally.
