Nairobi — Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has withdrawn the Religious Organisations Bill that seeks to regulate religious groups.
Speaking during a joint press conference Wednesday with religious leaders, Mungatana stated that he had written a letter to speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi seeking a formal withdrawal from the bill.
"The above Bill came in to being as one of the recommendations of the Adhoc Committee on the Shakahola Massacre that resulted in deaths of over 400 Kenyan citizens," he stated.
The Bill which has gone through the first reading has had wide consultations from individuals and religious organisations.
"Following the above-mentioned consultations since the bill passed through the first reading in the Senate, it was agreed that I withdraw the Bill to allow for further consensus building among stakeholders," Mungatana said.
The letter further indicated "In the view of the above, this letter is to witness the formal withdrawal of the Bill and to all intents and purposes, the Bill stands withdrawn."
The proposed bill aimed at curbing extremism and address the challenges posed by unregulated religious organizations that have emerged in recent years.
The bill proposed a Ksh 5 Million fine, three years in jail or both for anyone who operates an unregistered religious organisation.
It sets stringent requirements for applications to be considered including proof of at least 25 people who profess the same faith, endorsement by an umbrella religious organisation, a management staff where at least one religious leader has a degree, diploma or certificate in theology.
In October, President Ruto reaffirmed that his administration will not impose regulations on religious activities in the country, emphasizing the constitutional guarantee of freedom of worship.
Ruto further underscored that any reforms to regulate religious institutions should be driven by the institutions themselves, as recommended by the Presidential Taskforce chaired by Rev. Mutava.
The religious leaders have established a task force to develop a comprehensive frame work for self-regulation of the churches
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