Kigali Rwanda, Local government authorities have suspended activities for a total of 714 churches in different parts of Kigali over the last one week for failure to meet minimum standards.
The places of worship were found to lack basic infrastructure, fell short of hygiene, safety standards and had issues related to their legal status, according to local leaders.
The crackdown is being carried out by respective urban district authorities in partnership with the Rwanda Governance Board.
According to Justus Kangwagye, the Head of Political Parties and Civil Society Department at the Rwanda Governance Board, places of worship are required to meet basic requirements in terms of safety, hygiene, infrastructure and legality which those affected were found to be lacking.
In an interview on Monday, Kangwagye said most of the affected places of worship were asked to halt operations until they meet the expected standards.
“Worshiping should be done in an organised way and meet minimum standards. Exercising your freedom of worship should not encroach on other people’s rights. They have been asked to halt operations until they meet the requirements,” he said.
Some may not be able to resume operations any time soon, he said.
Kangwagye said some premises exposed worshipers to risks.
“For instance, if the infrastructure is deemed likely to cause danger to those worshiping, it is obvious that it fails to meet the requirements,” he explained.
