Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Raymond Omollo has called for open discussions on faith practices while emphasizing the need for self-regulation within religious institutions without state interference.
Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Omollo stated that churches should take responsibility for their governance to prevent potential misuse of religious platforms.
“I think it is important that there is an open conversation around how people practice their faith. There is a need to have a lot of self-regulation without the state appearing to be dictating to the church on what to do or what not to do,” Omollo said.
Reflecting on the Shakahola tragedy, Omollo highlighted the dangers of unchecked religious practices, noting that women and children, the most vulnerable members of society, were the biggest victims of the tragedy.
Describing the Shakahola tragedy as a dark blot in the country’s history, Omollo emphasized the need for measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“When you think about the Shakahola tragedy that happened two years ago in this country, nobody imagined that there would be something and when you look at it this was in the context of religion and Christianity, innocent Kenyans who were expected to just be practising their faith were able to get into the space where we ended up losing so many lives on account of belief or on account of doctrine,” he added.
“Shakahola is one dark blot and as a nation we must never allow that to happen and most of the cases in Shakahola that we ended up with were the women and children the most vulnerable in society.”
Regulation of Churches
On February 26, 2025, the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) called for urgent legislation to regulate religious organizations following a disturbing incident at Bethel for Jesus Ministry International Church in Bomet County.
In a statement, FIDA-Kenya Chairperson Christine Kungu, while condemning the shocking acts of religious extremism at the church where an elderly woman was set on fire on February 22, 2025, in a so-called exorcism ritual, urged the parliament to prioritize passing laws regulating religious organizations.
“Parliament must prioritise passing laws to regulate religious organisations and their agents’ conduct. Places of worship should provide spiritual nourishment, moral and ethical guidance, comfort, community, and order,” FIDA stated.
Kungu further expressed outrage over the incident, emphasizing the continued vulnerability of women to gender-based violence, even in places of worship.
“It is regrettable that women continue to experience unprecedented gender-based violence, even in places that are meant for worship,” Kungu said.
