Every Sunday in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, elegantly dressed Christians gather in their respective churches to attend services. Singing, praying, listening to sermons and making offerings (mainly cash) are an integral part of these worship sessions.

Whatever amount is raised from offerings is generally used to pay the church’s operating bills and the salaries of those who serve. Until now, churches in Rwanda were exempt from taxes.

ADEPR stands for Pentecostal Church of Rwanda.

However, if a Rwandan government plan comes to fruition, churches could be forced to pay taxes on offerings. The Rwanda Governance Board (RBG), the country’s agency responsible for regulating religious organizations, has reportedly finished drafting a bill that could soon be tabled in Parliament.

According to the 2022 Rwandan census, more than 90% of the country’s population identifies as Christian. However, the proliferation of Pentecostal churches, which many critics accuse of targeting the poor by preaching the “prosperity gospel”, led to Kagame’s crackdown.

Regulate rather than tax churches

“The problem we have is that religion has so many problems,” Marie Louise Uwimana, a lawyer and activist, told DW. “But I think that offerings and tithing (giving 10% of income) in churches should not be taxed,” the 39-year-old said, adding that this money is used to do the Lord’s work, like paying church workers and giving allowances to pastors. .

“Rather than taxing churches, the government should put in place regulations and laws that can streamline this sector to prevent some church leaders from extorting innocent and unsuspecting worshipers,” she said. added.

RBG closed nearly 8,000 churches and mosques following an assessment process. RBG said many churches were not following infrastructure standards, such as security protocols, while some were reportedly operating illegally.

Do churches profit from their followers?

“They’re going to start taxing religions that don’t make a profit, but they’re taxing them because they think they’re making a profit off people,” Ivan Mugisha, a Rwandan journalist and political commentator, told DW. “So is the government now trying to tax people who take advantage of others? That doesn’t make sense.”

For Mugisha, the repression of churches is another authoritarian measure by President Kagame. He said many religious leaders were unhappy with the government’s decision. “Some of them who have expressed their opinion have been told to shut up. So it happens when everyone shuts up because you know once you say something your church is going to get in trouble.”

President Kagame’s motivations

President Paul Kagame has long sought to regulate the Church, accusing some rogue pastors of “enriching themselves by extorting every last penny from poor Rwandans.”

So, is the Rwandan government’s decision to hold churches accountable justified, or is it an overreach?

“In a way, the government has crossed a line when it comes to freedom of worship and expression,” Mugisha said. “There is always a justification for everything, for example, (the government) says the Church is controlling and confusing people,” Mugisha said.

The Rwandan government also wants religious leaders to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree before being allowed to take the pulpit.

The Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Faithful of Rwanda had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

Will the tax plan for churches work?

“The idea of ​​taxing churches won’t work,” Charles Kamanzi, a student, told DW. “The government intends to curb extortion by these church leaders and some churches who receive a lot of money from these people. The idea may be good, but how will it be- implemented?” asked Kamanzi.

He argued that other churches, such as Catholics, Protestants and other mainstream religions, run schools, hospitals and other public projects.

“Are they also going to be taxed? I don’t think so. This leads to inequality in taxation, so who will be taxed? It’s very difficult to understand,” the 24-year-old said, adding that this idea shows the inability of government to regulate. these churches.

“When people join religious groups, it’s not just about manipulation, but because of their faith,” Mugisha said, emphasizing that attacking people’s faith “means restricting a very particular freedom they have “.

Josey Mahachi and Alex Ngarambe in Kigali contributed to this article

This article was adapted from an episode of DW’s AfricaLink, a daily podcast packed with news, politics, culture and more.