Following years of conflicts in boardrooms and courtrooms, Presiding Priest Reverend Nahashon Mwangangi and the church's leadership led by Bishop Leonard Wambua, the consequences have now become public.
The conflict began on Sunday when Bishop Wambua, carrying an order from the Mavoko Law Courts that prohibited Mwangangi from entering the church's property, tried to appoint another Pastor, Emmanuel Kioko, as his successor.
The action, however, faced strong opposition from the faithful, prompting officers from the Athi River police station to step in before the incident escalated into near-fistfights. Mwangangi was not present in the church during the clash.
Mwangangi declared on Thursday that he would not allow the church to fall.
He claimed that no one possessed the ethical right to remove him from the church he founded entirely on his own in 2009.
Mwangangi stated that those urging him to hand over the house of God had not donated a single penny toward the acquisition of the land it was built on or its construction.
The religious leader stated that he founded the church in a friend's three-bedroom house located in the Embakasi area of Athi River in 2009. The friend provided his living room for church members to gather for Sunday services.
"I established this church in 2009. I began it in a friend's home, then rented this land and eventually purchased it, constructing the church. We have been here for the past 16 years," he stated.
He was reacting to a statement made by Bishop Leonard Wambua, the presiding figure of the Eaglerise Christian Church, claiming that he (Mwangangi) had stopped being the church's pastor and that a new individual, Emannuel Kioko, had assumed the role.
"As a church, we will not abandon the church we have purchased land for and built. Eaglerise did not contribute even a single cent towards the purchase of the land or the construction of the church," Mwangangi said.
Mwangangi described both Wambua and Kioko as outsiders not only to the church, but also to the Athi River community, where the church has been present for over ten years.
The church situated at the Makadara shopping centre in Athi River Township has been closed permanently following unrest caused by disputes over leadership on Sunday.
The church has stayed closed ever since a near-fistfight occurred between two groups within its leadership on Sunday.
No ceremony was held at the church as the dispute lasted most of the day, with devoted individuals choosing sides.
Police officers from the Athi River station arrived at the scene and brought peace before the church was shut down until a solution is found.
Some congregation members were yelling outside the church when reporters arrived at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. The church's entrance was later closed after police stepped in, and then a lock was placed on its gate.
Mwangangi was prohibited from entering the church grounds by a court located at Mavoko Law Courts.
A court order has prevented the pastor of this church (Nahashon Wambua Mwangangi) from entering the church; he has been restricted. Today, we arrived to introduce a new pastor, Emannuel Kioko, but it appeared that the previous pastor (Mwangangi), who is under court restriction, had organized his wife and sons to gather some locals to oppose the new pastor," Wambua said to the Star at the church following the disturbance.
Mwangangi cautioned Wambua against involving his family members in the church disputes, noting that they were not part of the mentioned legal action.
Wambua did not reject Mwangangi's assertion that he had not provided even a single cent for the church's construction.
"We have arranged a mediation meeting to help them comprehend the court order and facilitate a seamless transition. This church does not belong to any individual. The pastor was suspended by the church's National Committee due to misconduct, and the court upheld the suspension, instructing him to wait until the issue is reviewed and resolved," Wambua stated.
Mwangangi stated that, as a church, they have the option to separate from Bishop Wambua's Eaglerise Christian church, emphasizing that freedom of worship exists. Wambua also serves as the chairman of the Church’s National Council.
"We will not accept giving up the church, which 'mama mbogas' sold vegetables and helped fund the purchase of land and its construction. Men also worked hard to contribute to the same cause. We will not let any outsider come in and interfere with the church," Mwangangi said.
He mentioned that the conflict intensified at some point in June this year when Wambua introduced Kioko to take his place in the church.
"Wambua wants me to leave because we had a disagreement on how he manages Eaglerise Christian church. We collaborated with the church to be able to work together. This church wasn't built by Wambua, so it doesn't belong to him," Mwangangi stated.
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