About 700 churches have been closed down in Rwanda for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.
Most of them are small Pentecostal churches and one mosque was also closed. A government official told the BBC that some of the more than 700 buildings shut down have already reopened after they were aproved by inspectors.
Government official Justus Kangwagye told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that they simply required the churches to meet "modest standards".
According to new regulations, all preachers must have had theological training before opening a church. Pentecostal churches, often run by charismatic preachers claiming to be able to perform miracles, have grown rapidly in many parts of Africa in recent years. Some are massive, attracting thousands of worshippers each Sunday, but others consist of tiny structures built without planning permission and church leaders have at times been criticised for using loud public address systems to attract worshippers.