When it comes to matters of national development and service delivery, Rwanda President, Paul Kagame doesn’t give a damn.
Now he wants Rwandans to use work hours productively instead of ‘wasting’ a lot of time praying.
Kagame’s warning came through the Rwanda Presidency Twitter handle where he decried the time public servants are dedicating to prayers, instead of carrying out their obligations.
“President Kagame: Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. But in public service, you cannot use work hours to spend all day attending prayers instead of fulfilling your responsibility of serving citizens. There is a time and place for everything,” the notice read in part.
Kagame’s warning was welcomed by most of his followers.
Rwanda’s 95% of the population is Christians, but Kagame has lately taken a ‘harsh’ stance on religion.
In March this year, it was reported that Rwandan Government had closed down over 700 churches and mosques in the capital, Kigali.
At the time of the crackdown, Government defended the decision saying the church and mosque structures failed to adhere to the country’s building regulations and noise pollution laws.
At the time, most of the churches closed were small Pentecostal ones often run by charismatic preachers, attracting thousands of worshippers each Sunday, but others consist of tiny structures built without planning permission.
Church owners that defied the order were arrested and charged with holding illegal meeting, with some being forced to improve on their structures, something that saw Government reopen them.
Among the other conditions set up by the Government was to have all preachers undergo theological training before opening a church and this was intended to rid the Christian faith of fake pastors, after reports of preachers swindling money from worshipers on pretext of making miracles.
