
Clampdown of Cultic Pastor’s
After two teams were sworn in to examine into their behavior and the country’s regulatory framework for religion, they were put on notice yesterday for their actions. These groups included cult leaders, supporters of religious extremism, bogus prophets, and other unethical religious figures.
The teams—a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the events leading up to the Shakahola massacre and another to find weaknesses and recommend legislative and administrative changes to stop religious extremism—were sworn in yesterday and will likely get right to work.
All religious organizations and their leaders must be registered and given permission to operate, and the Taskforce on the Review of the Legal and Regulatory Framework Governing Religious Organizations is anticipated to propose criteria and minimum certification requirements for this.
Clampdown of Cultic Pastor’s
The 14-member task force, which is led by former Gachoka MP and National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) General Secretary Mutava Musyimi, has also been tasked with identifying weaknesses in the legal, institutional, and governance system that have made it possible for cults and extremist groups to function and developing recommendations for how the general public can report such cases.
While this is going on, the Good News International Church in Malindi, Kilifi County, led by Pastor Paul Mackenzie, will be the subject of an investigation by the Commission of Inquiry into the Shakahola Tragedy, presided over by Court of Appeal Judge Jessie Lesiit.
Justice Lesiit stated yesterday that the task ahead was challenging and that they would try their best.
Rev. Musyimi called the Shakahola deaths tragic and speculated that there may be additional cults that have not yet been identified.
“The importance of this subject must be underscored by the fact that we are present today. I am aware that the Kenyan people are counting on us to deliver, and we cannot fail them,” he remarked.