Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ruled out shutting down churches in the city and residential areas.
Speaking during the official commissioning of the Green Park bus Terminal on Thursday, December 1, Sakaja insisted that his government will initiate dialogue with religious leaders to address the issues raised by aggrieved parties.
The governor added that after the dialogue, the county will enforce rules and regulations that will be used to keep places of worship in check.
"I will not close the churches. We want them to spread the gospel on obeying rules and regulations.i will initiate talks with them because we must be reasonable and accommodate each other in the city," he stated.
" I will not go back on the abolition of bars and restaurants from residences. We have closed that chapter.Let us move on. Those saying people will lose jobs are seeking sympathy. It is the right thing to do although is unpopular," he added.
Sakaja's verdict came amidst pressure from a section of Kenyans who had called on him to regulate churches in residential places.
The Atheist Society of Kenya asked the governor to shut them down days after revoking the licences of over 43 clubs and entertainment joints in various residential areas in Nairobi.
"As a society, we have received numerous complaints about places of worship that are a nuisance to residents of Nairobi due to noise pollution," Atheists chairperson Harrison Mumia stated.
"We demand that the Nairobi County Government include places of worship in its notice. We suspect that Governor Sakaja is privileging religious institutions on this issue," he added.
However, the former Nairobi Senator insisted that dialogue was key to finding a solution to the issue of churches in residential areas.
On the fate of closed down entertainment joints, the Nairobi county boss insisted that the owners are free to set up new premises in the Central Business District (CBD).
