Religious leaders in Tana River County have called upon preachers and church leaders to undertake theological courses in recognized Bible colleges before preaching to their congregations.
The clerics were speaking at the Hola County Commissioner’s boardroom Monday, while presenting their memoranda to the Committee formed to collect views aimed at regulating religious organizations in the country.
The Committee, chaired by Dr. Eli Rop, was told that for one to be allowed to lead or preach in a church, he or she should have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Bible college and observe the rights of people in the church.
The Committee also heard that civic education should be undertaken for church members in order to establish whether the teachings in churches were not undermining their right to education, respect for the wellbeing of human rights, and the right to life.
Presenting their views, Evangelical Churches in Kenya Representative Reverend Richard Osoro called on the government to deal with church leaders who preach against human rights and rights to education in their churches, saying the law should only be applied to respective individuals found culpable but should not be punitive to all the church members or occasion the closure of the church all together.
Rev. Osoro also said lack of employment has contributed to many youths joining religious organizations that preach misleading doctrines to their church members.
Speaking at the same meeting, SUPKEM Tana River branch leader Musa Dido blamed the security personnel in the national government for the wrongful branding of Muslim youths as criminals or Al Shabaab agents.
Dido urged the government not to target Muslim youths but to approach SUPKEM leaders who know them better so that the rightful suspects could be presented to the relevant authorities, instead of the government agents going to the mosques to nab the suspects.
By Simon Guruba
