Rwandan authorities have announced a ban on the activities of 43 faith groups, starting August 28.
This decision follows the recent closure of thousands of illegal churches across the country.
The Ministry of Local Government has instructed district leaders to enforce the ban.
This action comes after an evaluation revealed that the banned faith-based organizations were violating existing regulations.
Among the affected groups are several Pentecostal denominations, including the Lutheran Church, which was established in Rwanda in the 1990s to continue German missionary work.
This move follows a recent crackdown where over 5,000 churches were shut down for not meeting legal standards, which put worshippers’ safety at risk.
Inspectors found 59.3% of churches non-compliant.
Rwanda previously closed over 700 churches in 2018 for similar issues.
The government had required preachers to have theological training, but many failed to meet the standards.
President Kagame has suggested taxing church collections due to misuse.
