H.E. Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, issued a statement saying he had officially closed down 6000 churches in Rwanda, claiming they were playing with Rwandan citizens’ faith. He also instituted a new requirement that applicants obtain a theology degree before being granted a license to open a church in Rwanda.
President Kagame highlighted his concern over Rwanda’s growing number of churches in March, asking if they were boreholes or wells that provided people with water, and adding that they didn’t even match the number of factories in the country.
Rwanda, according to the President, has far too many churches, far more than schools or industry. He also stated that the church was being used by too many bogus pastors to extract money from its followers.
According to the Rwanda Governance Board, the action was made to tighten laws on church registration and operation in Rwanda, as well as to limit the number of cases of fraud in which religious leaders profited off destitute followers.
Certain Rwandans backed the idea, claiming that some religious leaders are motivated by greed and build churches in order to scam their followers.
The Rwandan government stated that while freedom of religion is important, preserving people’s lives comes first.
Before they can conduct church services in Rwanda, all pastors must have a theological degree.
In Ghana, for example, church construction has become a competition since every tiny pastor wants to establish his own church. As a result, there are more than seven different churches on every street corner, but our morals and values as Africans deteriorate day by day.
Is religion a factor in Africa’s problems? Do you believe Rwandan President Paul Kagame did the right thing and that other African countries should follow in his footsteps?
