President William Ruto chairs a cabinet meeting at State House on July 29, 2025 / PCSThe Cabinet has approved the move to regulate religious organisations to safeguard the integrity of practices while curbing exploitation.
This follows recommendations from the Presidential Taskforce on Religious Organisations, a landmark move to regulate religious activities.
In a cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto said the proposed reforms, developed in response to the Shakahola tragedy, place religious leaders at the centre of accountability efforts, emphasising self-regulation over State control.
Key proposals include enacting a legal framework to govern religious organisations, establishing a Religious Affairs Commission, and strengthening umbrella faith organisations for coordination.
“The model blends institutional autonomy with supportive oversight and calls for leadership standards, reforms to religious broadcasting, and civic education to promote tolerance and prevent extremism,” the cabinet dispatch read in a part.
Cabinet said a multi-agency collaboration involving security agencies, interfaith platforms, and educational institutions will support the implementation.
The Shakahola mass deaths came to light in April 2023, and more than 400 bodies have since been exhumed from shallow graves at Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County.
Those who died are suspected to have been followers of a cult and were starved to death in the belief that it was the only route to heaven.
On July 24, 2024, the task force concluded its work and presented the report to President Ruto.
The Presidential Taskforce on the Review of the Legal and Regulatory Framework Governing Religious Organisations Report, which was chaired by the Rev Mutava Musyimi, recommended the establishment of the Religious Affairs Commission.
It has also developed the Draft Religious Organisations Bill 2024 and the Draft Religious Organisations Policy that will help anchor and institutionalise the recommendations of the report.
The recommendations, the report said, are meant to safeguard and protect the freedom of religion and mitigate the potential abuse to inflict harm on Kenyans.
The report also adopted a hybrid regulatory model of self-regulation and government oversight in addition to an amendment to the Kenya Information and Communication Act.
Other proposals included the need to revise the basic education curriculum to strengthen religious tolerance, caution the public against religious extremism and relook at civic education materials on the rights and responsibilities of religious organisations and citizens.
