Kenya's Evangelical Churches 'Under Attack' By Government Plans To Streamline Religion, Bishops Say

[CopyBoy]

Evangelical churches and Muslims in Kenya have condemned the government’s plans to regulate religious organizations in the East African country. Christian clerical leaders gathered Monday in the capital, Nairobi, vowing to fight what they called an attack on the church, according to local media.

“The church in Kenya is under attack,” the chairman of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, Bishop Mark Kariuki, told Capital FM, a privately owned Kenyan radio station. “Yes, it is under persecution.”

The proposed regulations require all religious bodies to register and submit their statements of faith to a state-run agency for examination. Preachers must also undergo theological training. The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya said the move is aimed at curbing the growth of evangelical churches. Kariuki said the organization, which represents 38,000 churches and as many as 10 million Christians in Kenya, is planning to collect 3 million signatures to block the attorney general from signing the proposals into law.

ibtimes.com/kenyas-evangelical-churches-under-attack-government-plans-streamline-religion-bishops-2261065

 

[PJH_74]

Having been to Africa a number of times I can see the basic argument for this. Some of these churches have become powerful bases of power for those who run them. Indeed I suspect the government is not completely off base for suspecting their is some substantial abuse of power going on in some of these organisations.

That said African politics can be much like a soap opera and often can be very corrupt, though Kenya is probably one of the better run countries in Africa. I would not equate suppression of freedom of religion in the American context with what is going on here, the situation is likely much closer to the wild west. Keep in mind that most US churches are chartered organizations that keep proper records of their actions and finances.

 

[Path_Finder]

Kenya yes, has a situation better than its neighbors and have a good degree of freedom. They have also had to put up with some terror groups.

That said, there are some reported serious offenses by the police there.

**
Kenya is a bandit economy - CJ**

OUTGOING Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has said Kenya is run by mafia-style cartels of political chiefs and corrupt business people.

Eighty per cent of political leaders are not fit to hold office and corruption has never been worse in the “bandit economy,” he said.

the-star.co.ke/news/2016/01/13/kenya-is-a-bandit-economy-cj_c1274990

That said, a lot of Kenyans come to the US to study and so forth and maybe unlike other foreign nationalities that do this, it does seem they go back.

They also apparently have “tribal violence” sometimes and the last election did see quite a bit of violence.