Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's wife, Ida Odinga, has issued an apology after calling for the abolishment of some churches that are not run by trained theologians.
In a statement released on Monday, January 31, Ida withdrew the statement she made on Saturday, January 29 asking the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) to regulate the establishment of churches and shut down those that fail to meet the set conditions.
She noted that her sentiments had not sat well with some members of the clergy and apologised for the discomfort that she had caused, adding that she meant no harm.
Further, Ida stated that her remarks had been blown out of context by a section of the media, adding that she is a firm believer and appreciated that preaching is a calling and anyone can be called to spread God's word.
However, she noted that training of people who will administer God's word would only make the service of preaching better and promotes the ministration of the word of God.
"As a committed believer in Jesus Christ, I understand that preaching is a calling and anyone can be touched to administer the word of God. This is a fact I have appreciated for a long time and I have sat and listened to many preachers eloquently and diligently
deliver life-changing sermons.
"I remain dedicated to promoting the growth of the church space for a better society in Kenya," stated Ida.
Speaking on Saturday, January 29, during the launch of the Christian Book by Archbishop Emeritus Habbakuk Abogno, Ida noted that many small churches had cropped up in the past few years, adding that they were not effective because their leaders had not been trained.
Ida stated that some church leaders were just reading scriptures as they are written in the Bible instead of interpreting it for their congregants.
According to her, some Christian institutions had been set up to make money while using God's name instead of bringing people closer to God.
"We want Kenyans to subscribe to religions that are formally registered and not those whose belief systems are commodified. It is also important that we conduct training for all those who minister the word of God," Ida remarked.