As the dust on the media bill settles, the religious denominations bill seems set to raise its own. Religious leaders from different denominations have converged and made a statement to be presented to the Local Government Ministry and the speaker of parliament for possible amendments to the bill.
The statement which The Sunday Times has seen has suggested that four articles; 21, 32, 36 be amended in order to facilitate their operation in the country. It also says that the above articles make it difficult to start a religious organisation and their proper functioning.
"The bill articulates that for someone to start a church, one must have at least 100 associates to sign in your statute while he/she must be a graduate," the statement reads in part.
Religious leaders protest that starting a church does not require someone to be academically upright but a calling of which most cases follows people with integrity.
"We have found out that because those articles, freedom of worship is dishonoured," the religious leaders state.
Bishop Emmanuel Koline of the Anglican Church yesterday told the Sunday Times that the bill is putting churches in the category of NGOs and associations yet they differ from the two.
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