President William Ruto has received the report from the Presidential Taskforce on the Review of the Legal and Regulatory Framework Governing Religious Organisations in Kenya.
Established in May 2023 following the Shakahola forest massacre, where over 440 bodies were discovered, the taskforce was tasked with addressing;
Gaps that have allowed extremist religious groups to operate and formulating a legal framework to prevent such threats to public health, safety, and national values.
Chaired by Reverend Mutava Musyimi, the 17-member taskforce has presented bold recommendations, including the mandatory re-registration of all religious institutions with stringent vetting processes.
Key proposals also include the creation of a Religious Affairs Commission and the enactment of specific laws to ensure religious organisations operate ethically.
The report emphasizes empowering the Registrar of Religious Organisations to deregister and publicize names of individuals and groups involved in extremist, cultic, and occult practices.
It also recommends amendments to laws, such as the Kenya Information and Communication Act, to address misuse of religious platforms and calls for updates to the national curriculum to promote religious tolerance.
During the report’s presentation, President Ruto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to safeguarding religious freedom while preventing its misuse.
“We will continue to protect the freedom of religion, but we must also take steps to prevent its misuse that could harm Kenyans,” Ruto stated.
