Murkomen Proposes Tougher Church Regulations After Rongo Tragedy

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has proposed stricter regulations on church operations following a disturbing incident at a Rongo-based church that left two people dead and 57 others rescued from confinement.

Speaking to the press on Thursday morning, Murkomen revealed that a government task force formed in 2023 has submitted recommendations to tighten the governance of religious institutions in Kenya. The task force, chaired by former Mbeere South MP Mutava Musyimi, was created by President William Ruto to address rising concerns over religious extremism and rogue preachers.

Among the key proposals is a fresh mandatory registration process for churches and tougher legal guidelines to oversee their activities. Murkomen stated that the report has already been forwarded to the cabinet committee for review and will later be tabled before the cabinet plenary and Parliament for final approval.

“This is an issue we must confront directly. The task force has presented a raft of proposals, including new registration requirements for churches,” Murkomen said.

The announcement follows the April 21 incident at St. Joseph’s Mission of Africa church in Rongo, Migori County. According to police, 57 individuals were rescued after allegedly being locked inside the church by its leaders. Two people reportedly died, and the group had refused medical care from local health facilities, seeking treatment only from their preacher.

Even after being freed, the rescued individuals refused to return home and instead camped outside the church, prompting police to detain them for their own safety.

Murkomen praised Migori police for their swift intervention, saying their actions helped avert a potential tragedy similar to the Shakahola cult deaths. The government is now fast-tracking the implementation of new laws to prevent similar incidents.