The administration of Musanze District in collaboration with the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), has confirmed that it has closed 185 non-compliant churches out of 317 located in the District.
These 185 churches in Musanze District were closed as a result of an inspection by the RGB, where they looked at whether the places of worship met the requirements including the knowledge of the leaders of these churches, the cleanliness of the place, parking, toilets and the presence of thunder protection.
It is also added that the church must have a way that the inside sound cannot easily reach the outside to disturb the people, taking water from these buildings, being a full temple and so on. After the ongoing audit, out of 282 churches audited out of 317 located in Musanze District, 185 were decided to be closed to meet the requirements for re-opening.
The Vice Mayor of Musanze District in charge of social welfare, Thèobald Kayiranga confirmed this information, saying that the inspection is still ongoing and the purpose is to protect the lives of worshipers as per the instructions of the RGB notified to religions and churches.
He said, "We have had the problem of lightning hitting people for days. The purpose is to see if those people who lead these churches have the ability because a person who goes to teach 1000 people should have the knowledge of what he is telling them.
It should not be ignored that there are others who pray on the mountains and go to caves where they cannot go, but because they believe that they are going to pray and go there and they may encounter problems that would put their lives in danger, all of this is being looked at so that they can be advised and not do that, and there should be closed."
Vice Mayor Theobald Kayiranga continued to advise Christians to be discerning about the teachings they receive, and who teach them, and pray in a place that does not endanger life.
The leader of the Evangelical Restoration Church of Musanze and a consultant in the Rwandan Union of Religions and Churches (RIC) in the Northern Province, Jonas Matabaro Mporana, said that churches should meet the requirements but that there should be special people because the requirements in the cities are not able to meet those in the countryside due to the nature and capacity.
