31st of January, 2022 – Ida Odinga, the wife of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has petitioned the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) to close down some churches that are not led by professional theologians.
Ida urged NCCK to regulate the establishment of churches and shut down those that do not meet the appropriate requirements during the introduction of the Christian Book by Archbishop Emeritus Habbakuk Abogno yesterday.
She highlighted that numerous little churches had sprouted up in recent years, but that they were ineffective due to the lack of training among their pastors.
Ida stated that some church leaders were just reading scriptures as they are written in the Bible instead of interpreting it for their congregants.
According to Ida, who is seeking to be the 5th First Lady should her husband win in the August presidential contest, some Christian institutions have been set up to make money while using God’s name instead of bringing people closer to God.
“We want Kenyans to subscribe to religions that are formally registered and not those whose belief systems are commodified.
“It is also important that we conduct training for all those who minister the word of God,” Ida remarked.
In 2016, President Uhuru directed the Attorney General to consult with religious leaders, noting that rogue preachers were exploiting Kenyans.
In 2019, Kangema MP Muturi Kigano tabled a proposal at the National Assembly aimed at weeding out rogue pastors and churches but was met with a lot of resistance by religious leaders.