Clerics Table Their Demands Before BBI Team, Want Youth’s HELB Loans Written Off

While voicing support for the BBI, United Clergy Alliance Chairperson Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has asked
the government to release the youth from the burden of Higher Education Loans Board by clearing off their loans.

She highly condemned it terming it as unfair to our jobless youths yet the government has been clearing parastatals and other companies from debts worth billions.

In another statement, this religious leaders want the constitution amended to allow churches to establish a self-regulatory law that will govern their operations.

In a move to control the high number of churches, the government froze registration of new churches, vetted existing ones and shut down entities that did not meet the legal threshold to operate.

The move aims at creating a central religious organization to address ggissues about registration of new churches, taxes, operations and discipline related issues in churches across the country.

Redeemed Gospel Church Presiding General overseer Bishop Kepha Omae proposed equal treatment for all religious and faith-based organisations.

Busia Senator Amos Wako, who is a BBI committee member and former attorney general, said they support religious self-regulation, but it should have a legal mechanism and structure in enforcing the law.

Clergy from various religious organisations, under the United Clergy Alliance, presented their views to the Building Bridges Initiative task force led by its chairman Yusuf Haji at a Nairobi hotel.