Rwanda plans church tax to stop 'rogue' pastors

Every Sunday in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, smartly dressed Christians gather at their respective churches to attend services. Singing, praying, listening to sermons and giving offerings [mostly cash] are integral to these worship sessions.

Whatever amount is raised from the offerings is typically used to pay bills for running the church and salaries for those who serve. Until now, churches in Rwanda have been exempted from paying taxes. 

ADEPR stands for the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda.

However, if a plan by Rwanda's government goes through, churches could be mandated to pay tax on the offerings. The Rwanda Governance Board (RBG), the country's agency tasked with regulating religious organizations, has reportedly finished drafting a bill that could soon be tabled in parliament.

According to Rwanda's 2022 census, more than 90% of the country's population identify as Christian. However, the mushrooming 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 got so many problems," Marie Louise Uwimana, a lawyer and activist, told DW. "But I think offertory and tithe [giving of 10% of earnings] in churches should not be taxed," the 39-year-old said, adding that such money goes into doing the Lord's work like paying church workers and giving allowances to pastors.

"Rather than tax churches, the government should put up regulations and laws that can streamline this sector to avoid some church leaders extorting unsuspecting and innocent churchgoers," she added.

RBG has shut down nearly 8,000 churches and mosques following an evaluation process. RBG said many churches failed to meet infrastructural standards, such as safety protocols, while some allegedly operated illegally.

Many Rwandans wonder how a church tax plan will be implmenentedImage: Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images

Are churches making profits from followers?

"They are going to start taxing religions which are not profit-making, but they are taxing them because they think they are making profit off people," Ivan Mugisha, a journalist and political commentator from Rwanda, told DW. "So is the government now trying to tax people who are profiting off people? It kind of doesn't make sense."

For Mugisha, the clamp down on churches is another authoritarian move by President Kagame. He said many religious leaders are unhappy with the government's move. "Some of them who voiced their opinion were told to shut up. So it's happening when everyone has shut up because you know once you say something, your church is going to be in trouble."

President Kagame's motivation

President Paul Kagame has long sought to regulate the church, accusing some rogue pastors of "enriching themselves by squeezing the last penny out of 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 borderline when it comes to freedom of worship and expression," Mugisha said. "There is always a rationale for everything, for example, [the government] says that the church is controlling and confusing people," Mugisha said.

The Rwandan government also wants religious leaders to attain at least a bachelor's degree before they are allowed to stand at the pulpit.

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

President Paul Kagame is cracking down on churches that he says extort poor citizensImage: Lim Yaohui/Newscom/Singapore Press Holdings/IMAGO

Will the church tax plan work?

"The idea of taxing churches will not work," Charles Kamanzi, a university student, told DW. "The government intends to curb extortion by these church leaders and particular churches that are getting a lot of money from these people. The idea might be good, but how will it implemented?," Kamanzi wondered.

He argued that other churches like the Catholic, Protestant and other mainstream religions have schools, hospitals and other public interest projects they run.

"Will they also be taxed? I think not. That brings in some inequalities in taxation, so who will be taxed? It's very hard to understand," the 24-year-old said, adding the whole idea shows the government's failure to regulate these churches.

"When people join religious groups, it's not just about manipulation but because of their faith," Mugisha said, stressing that attacking people's faith "means curtailing a very special freedom that they have."

Josey Mahachi and Alex Ngarambe in Kigali contributed to this article

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