Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has withdrawn the Religious Organisations Bill that seeks to regulate religious groups.
Mungatana says that he had written a letter to the speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi, seeking a formal withdrawal from the bill.
“The above Bill came in to being as one of the recommendations of the Adhoc Committee on the Shakahola Massacre that resulted in deaths of over 400 Kenyan citizens,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The Bill, which has passed the first reading, has been extensively consulted by individuals and religious organizations.
“Following the above-mentioned consultations since the bill passed through the first reading in the Senate, it was agreed that I withdraw the Bill to allow for further consensus building among stakeholders,” Mungatana said.
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“In the view of the above, this letter is to witness the formal withdrawal of the Bill and to all intents and purposes, the Bill stands withdrawn,” read the letter.
The proposed bill aimed at curbing extremism and addressing the challenges posed by unregulated religious organizations that have emerged in recent years.
The bill proposed a Kes 5 million fine, three years in jail, or both for anyone operating an unregistered religious organization.
It sets stringent requirements for applications to be considered, including proof of at least 25 people who profess the same faith, endorsement by an umbrella religious organization, and management staff with at least one religious leader having a degree, diploma, or certificate in theology.
