Barred SDA faithful call for church leaders resignation as row persists
The wrangles rocking the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) took a fresh twist yesterday after some excommunicated members called for the resignation of the church leadership.
The aggrieved members mainly drawn from the Nyanza region accused the leadership of Central Kenya Conference (CKC) of being corrupt and incompetent.
Under the auspices of Nairobi Cosmopolitan Conference (NCC), they accused CKC president John Kiragu of being behind the current row.
“Over the years, the SDA leadership in Kenya has lost focus of veered off the church mission in earthly pursuits of personal gains,” said NCC chairman Sammy Masara.
At the centre of the dispute is control of millions of shillings in tithes and offerings as well as scholarships, jobs in church-run schools and hospitals.
Addressing journalists in Nairobi, Masara accused Kiragu of stoking up divisions in the church by allegedly profiling members of one community by denying them jobs “even in situations where they are qualified”.
“A keen observation on the management of any SDA institution will reveal that the schools, colleges, universities, health facilities and other institutions are rundown. Only close friends and relatives of the church leaders are employed,”claimed Masara.
Elder Enock Kinara, who was among the 15 members ex-communicated, claimed Kiragu had awarded more than people from central region fully paid scholarships to study theology in Uganda.
On the crisis facing Nairobi Central SDA Church (Maxwell), which has since been closed indefinitely, the members accused CKC leadership of interfering with the church voting system ahead of next year elections.
Responding to the allegations, CKC executive secretary Pastor Jeremy Marambi dismissed the allegations. Speaking to People Daily on phone, he accused NCC of collaborating with top government officials to misuse the multi-billion shillings properties belonging to the church.
“We will stand by our position to see Maxwell Church opened. These other allegations are nothing to us. We will not be cowed,” said Marambi.
