KCC is right on shoddy churches

Dear editor, The closure of nine Pentecostal churches for reportedly circumventing building construction rules is good in principle if we are to save lives of people who sometimes attend them without knowing the risks they run. Kigali City Council (KCC) has really done a great piece of work to halt any likely church-collapse incident, like the one that happened in Western Province that claimed many lives of innocent people. Nkaka church collapse killed may people, and no one wants a repeat of this here in Kigali. City leaders say some of the affected churches were dangerously built and not safe to house worshippers. The problem of religious entrepreneurship has reached such dangerous heights that the entrepreneurs who are so-called pastors, harpharzardly put up buildings very fast, often in marshlands, and them turn on their charm to attract worshippers. In a land where many are traumatised, they never fail to attract a following – gullible citizens seeking solace in the Lord. But with intervention of KCC, we expect worshippers to be rescued and instead attend well built churches. Let the vetting exercise to ascertain whether all operating churches in the city meet required standards, be quick, free and fair and those found wanting shoul;d be pulled down immediately. Ephraim Nkusi Nyarugenge-Kigali Ends

Opinions

KCC is right on shoddy churches