The President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, agreed with the closure of nearly 8,000 churches that the inspection found to be non-compliant, warning who found them as entrepreneurs who aim to rob Rwandans’ property, in the name of God.
After receiving the oath of parliament on August 14, 2024, President Kagame said that before questioning the closing of temples, people should question how they were established.
He said, “What is the point of churches? At first they shouted, ’They closed the churches’. At first you started saying ’how did it go?’ What are churches?
What are thousands of churches? Rwandans, what is wrong with you? But I think it’s a matter of being African. We Africans really have a problem.”
President Kagame expressed that it is not appropriate for Rwandans to use their power not to solve their problems, but they use it to destroy the economy and starve them.
He said, "The energy we should have used to solve the daily problems that concern us, give us security, raise our economy, make Rwandans not hungry, these problems I was talking about, all of them are going to be used in things..."
He recalled that in the past he had a conversation with Rwandans, showing them that they should not invest in things that do not develop them.
He said, "That we had this conversation, we talked enough, it seems that a decision has been made, what happened after that to make us go back to where we were?"
He went on to ask the MPs: "Really, you as Rwandans, you MPs sitting here, now above being MPs, do you feel that you have a place to rely on so that everyone can have a church in their yard?"
You are a member of parliament, you are a pastor, you have a church, and you end up people paying you. And the one who is prevented in the activities that should have given him money, he must find money for himself and bring it to you!"
President Kagame explained that some of the churches in Rwanda have founded there to consume Rwandans with the few properties they have, done by the founders. He said he can’t accept it.
President Kagame said that while Rwandans follow "crazy people" like these, the country will be as if it does not exist, explaining that he will not debate the functioning of the temples that have been in place for a long time, but that he will not accept any more chaos.
President Kagame said that because of the belief in ignorance, there are countries where pastors prevent their followers from eating, causing them to die. It is a case that happened in Kenya, and is still in court. He asked, “Is that where you want to be? “
The head of the country said that the temples must meet the requirements set by the law, on the deception of those who worship God, informing Rwandans that those who do not comply with the law will be closed.
He said, “What does not obey the law, should not happen. That’s when I saw them saying, ’First, the President doesn’t know. The thing about closing temples is a sin.’ I know. I don’t want it. I don’t want to mess things up even if they are in religion. I will definitely fight it.”
He asked the MPs to join with other institutions to establish a system that guides Rwandans in the right direction, although the pastors who aim to rob the people’s few properties they have, should definitely be stopped.
