Wrangles threaten split of the Peace and Mercy church of Africa
A section of members of the Peace and Mercy church of Africa outside the Eldoret Highcourt/Photo James Gitaka
By James Gitaka
Wrangles have rocked a 300,000 member Kenyan based Peace and Mercy
church of Africa over move by a section of the church members to amend
the church’s constitution.
This has forced a section of disgruntled church members to move to
Eldoret High Court which ruled in their favor by issuing orders to
stop any further implementation or operanalization of the PMCA
constitution of 2022.
In the order, the Presiding Judge, Reuben Nyakundi stopped the church
from opening new church branches and ordaining new church leaders
under the new constitution until the matter before him is heard and
determined.
Justice Nyakundi further directed the warring parties to appear before
him on Friday where he is set to appoint an arbitrator to resolve the
dispute with a view to save the church from disintegrating.
“I direct that both parties do appear before my court on 10th February
so that I can appoint an arbitrator to resolve the long standing
dispute between members of Peace and Mercy Church of Africa,” ruled
the Presiding Judge.
Petitioners led by assistant Bishop Robert Yego (Blue Blazer)/Photo James Gitaka
The petitioners led by assistant Bishop Robert Yego and ten other
members had argued that the proposed new constitution that was passed
last year was illegal since it was pushed by a few members of the
clergy without consulting church members.
They are represented in court by Lawyer Boaz Bulbul while the
defendants led by David Sitienei are represented by lawyer Job Rugut.
According to the aggrieved party,it was wrong for David Sitienei-led
group and a section of the clergy to amend the constitution without
including the input of majority church members across the country.
The aggrieved party faulted the process of passing the new
constitutional amendment saying it did not comply with the due process
and besides, the move did not also accord church members an opportunity
to participate in the process as required by the law.
Through their lawyer Bulbul, the aggrieved party told the court that
the defendants went ahead to ratify amendments to the church
constitution despite the objections raised by majority members terming
their action a contempt of court order.
“Your honor, the defendants are still ordaining the clergy and opening
new church branches in some places across the country despite the existence
of a court order stopping them from doing so until the matter before
the court is heard and determined, ” argued lawyer Bulbul.
However, lawyers for the defendants said they were not opposed to the
idea of bringing on board an arbitrator to resolve the dispute
between members of the church.
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