EDITORIAL BRIEF: Pastor Dorcas Rigathi’s call to not generalize religious organizations when rogue leaders violate the law is a crucial reminder of the importance of individual responsibility. She emphasized that the law should be followed and that criminals and terrorists should be dealt with in accordance with the Constitution. Her caution against the blanket condemnation of Christian faithful and religious organizations when one individual violates the law is timely and necessary. She stressed that individuals should bear their own responsibilities regardless of their positions in society and that the law should be applied to all. Rigathi’s call to follow the law and the Constitution and not infringe on the rights and freedoms of others is a crucial reminder of the importance of justice and accountability in society.
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Dorcas Rigathi addresses a function at the KICC in Nairobi on March 2023.
Pastor Dorcas Rigathi has spoken out against the blanket condemnation of Christian faithful in Kenya, specifically in response to the recent mass killings and cult leader Paul Mackenzie. Rigathi condemned Mackenzie’s actions and stated that if he is found guilty, he should be put behind bars. However, she cautioned against generalizing the church or religious organizations as a whole when a rogue leader violates the law, emphasizing that individuals should bear their own responsibilities regardless of their positions in society.
Rigathi stated that Mackenzie is not a pastor but a criminal who should be treated as an individual. She further explained that even Mackenzie’s family should not be held accountable for his actions. She urged the authorities to follow the law and the Constitution and to deal with the issue through the criminal justice system. She stressed that a criminal is a criminal, a terrorist is a terrorist, and a murderer is a murderer, and that they should be prosecuted and punished accordingly.
Rigathi’s sentiments came after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced that Pastor Ezekiel Odero, the head of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church, will face criminal charges related to the mass killing of his followers. Pastor Odero was arrested on Thursday morning over suspected deaths at his church as police widened an investigation on allegations of the deaths occurring at his premises. Coast Regional Coordinator Rhoda Onyancha confirmed the arrest and stated that the pastor would be questioned by detectives at the Coast Regional Police Headquarters in Mombasa.
Rigathi warned against the generalization of religious organizations when a rogue leader violates the law, emphasizing that individuals should bear their own responsibilities regardless of their positions in society. She emphasized that the law should be applied and if found guilty, the cult leader should be put behind bars. She also encouraged following the Constitution, which allows for the freedom of worship, and not infringing on the rights and freedoms of others. Rigathi concluded that individuals should not condemn every Christian and that the authorities should take those involved through the law and prosecute them accordingly.