Court of Appeal judge Jessie Lessit will lead a commission of inquiry investigating the Shakahola massacre.
President William Ruto gazetted the commission of inquiry, saying there were mass deaths, cruelty, maiming, other inhumane and degrading acts perpetrated on members linked to the Good News International Church.
The commission of inquiry shall prepare and submit a report and its recommendations to the President within six months from May 4, 2023.
He said the scale of the death toll and the depravity of the actions committed against those involved has shocked the nation.
Ruto said he will hold extensive discussions with spiritual leaders from across the country to develop a legal framework within which religious centres will operate.
The President said the framework will help in taming individuals who seek personal gain in the name of religion.
“I will hold consultations with our religious leaders to have a task force we can weed out the characters who want to abuse religion to run businesses and things that are anti-religion,” he said.
“We want to provide a framework agreed with our religious leaders that will provide for self-regulation so that our church, religion and spiritual leaders can have a mechanism where they can point out to government those who want to abuse religion for other purposes.”