Clergy leaders in Kenya have strongly opposed the government's process to pass the Religious Organisations Policy 2024 and the Religious Organisations Bill 2024, claiming it aims to silence them. The Council of Churches and Clergy in Kenya (CCAK) and Pentecostal Voices of Kenya (PVK) say the government excluded them and is rushing the process without transparency. They demand the bill be scrapped or revised to protect freedom of worship.
Clergy leaders from the Council of Churches and Clergy in Kenya (CCAK) and Pentecostal Voices of Kenya (PVK) have voiced strong criticism against President William Ruto and his administration over the process to enact the Religious Organisations Bill 2024. In a statement dated December 12, 2025, CCAK expressed disappointment with a notice from Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi's office scheduling public participation from December 10 to 15, 2025. CCAK National Chairperson Bishop Hudson Deda stated: “We recognize that public participation is enshrined in the Constitution, and that the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary is attempting to fulfill this obligation. However, churches and clergy in the country are concerned about the time and speed being used to drive this process.”
PVK, through Secretary General Habil Olembo, claimed: “They have opted to vilify the church and arbitrarily enact draconian bills and regulations that trump on the freedom of worship and muzzle the church.” Chairperson Peter Manyuru added: “If you can use the same force and energy that you are using to curtail the church in solving the problems of Kenyans, I want to say that Kenya would be very far.”
The bill was drafted by a task force led by Padre Mutava Musyimi following the Shakahola massacre, where over 400 bodies have been exhumed. It was initially sponsored by Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana in 2024 but withdrawn after public outcry. The new draft establishes an Advisory Board in the Attorney General's office, a Registrar of Religious Organisations, and requires a governance structure with a Board of Trustees where at least two-thirds of members are Kenyan citizens. It also mandates endorsement by an umbrella religious organization for new groups and prohibits political activities.
Religious leaders say they were not involved in its formulation and demand the process be halted or revised to avoid constitutional violations. They accuse the government of focusing on controlling the church instead of addressing Kenyans' problems.
