Drama at church after Njoya rejects treasurer’s installation

There was drama at the St Andrews Church, Nairobi on Tuesday afternoon when Reverend Timothy Njoya (pictured) of Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) walked out of the 24th General Assembly after the moderator defied court orders stopping him from installing Honorary Treasurer David Ndumo.

The event that was graced by President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua saw Njoya storm out of the function in protest after the PCEA Moderator Patrick Thegu Mutahi went ahead to install Ndumo as the church Treasurer against a court order issued on April 8, 2024 by Lady Justice Asenath Ongeri. According to Njoya, the installation of Ndumo as the church’s treasurer is illegal as it went against the court orders issued by the High Court.

Justice Ongeri had issued orders barring Reverends Patrick Thegu Mutahi and Robert Waihenya­— both Moderator and General Secretary of the PCEA church—  respectively from swearing in  Ndumo as the Treasurer.

“Pending inter-partes hearing of this Application, an order is issued restraining the 1st and 2nd Respondents(Mutahi and Waiheya) either by themselves, agents employees or servants from implementing the Nomination Committee’s /Business Committee’s recommendation to the General Assembly to elect, appoint or install David Nderitu Ndumo as Honorary Treasurer of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) during the (24th) General Assembly to be held at St. Andrew’s Church Nairobi on April 9, 2024,” The judge ordered.

The interim orders was issued after Benjamin Njoroge Mburu a member of the PCEA in Kikuyu Town petitioned the Milimani High Court challenging the nominations of Ndumo as the church official since he has a case pending in court for defaulting to pay a loan of Sh 7.4million owed to Sheria Sacco.

Mburu told the judge that Ndumo is a judgment-debtor and is indebted to the 15 claimants including Juma Olago, Charles Maina, Jane Njoroge and Benjamin Ombogo in Nairobi, Cooperative Tribunal Case Number Cooperative Tribunal Case Number 727 of 2019.