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Protect us from rogue religious leaders
Members of the public try to force their way into St Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa Church in Opapo Village in Rongo, Migori County on April 11, 2025. The body of a GSU officer was buried within the church compound.
Although religion is regulated in Kenya, the proliferation of cults over the years is a cause for concern.
Where is the dividing line between cults and true religion in this country?
Recent events in Kenya are a cause for concern. Although the country protects and deeply believes in freedom of worship, some churches that have proliferated in the country in very large numbers have gone against the true practices of Christianity.
Some sects in the country are strange and beyond bizarre. They violate human rights. The belief that cult members should not seek medical treatment is against the laws of the land. Forcing members to sell their land is misleading and not godly.
Freedom of worship is very much abused in this country and it is time that religion was properly regulated. Kenyans are currently following some court cases involving cult leaders where hundreds of Kenyans are said to have died due to misleading teachings by cult leaders. Mass graves have been exhumed and the victims are believed to have starved to death in order to go to heaven.
Another shocking news is that of a church in Rongo, Migori County, where followers, mostly women, have abandoned their homes, some leaving their husbands and taking their children with them, while some men have also sold their land and moved into the church sanctuary to live under the protection of a prophetess. This only came to the fore when a family forcibly entered the sanctuary to retrieve the body of a deceased family member.
The story of Shakahola is still unfolding, but in the courts of law. Freedom of worship and church legislation in the aftermath of what happened in Kenya should be revisited by the government. This will be done through thorough regulation. So many churches have sprung up in Kenya. Some are one-room churches, mostly in informal settlements, very close to each other. The noise they make has become a nuisance to local residents.
In regulating churches, the authorities should consider the sanctity of human life. No one, including the 'prophets' and 'prophetesses' of modern sects, should endanger human life in the name of religion. The current poverty most Kenyans find themselves in has made them believe in all sorts of promises, including salvation that promises them Canaan. These unscrupulous preachers prey on the vulnerabilities of their followers. Even in the mainstream religions, the prosperity gospel, which sometimes borders on extortion when it comes to tithes and other offerings, has pushed congregants to the brink.
A prophetess who preached for years in Kawangware, Nairobi lived a life of poverty. But when she died, her family members were found to be living in luxury.
Faiths and religious bodies should quickly return to the Church of Christ.
David M. Kigo, Nairobi
