Nairobi Central SDA Church clossed indefinately

Popular Nairobi church closed indefinitely after worshippers clobbered pastor

Charles Ouma

August 11, 2019 8:53 AM

Police were deployed to the church to enforce the order

A screen-grab image of the chaos at Nairobi Central SDA church

Nairobi County Commissioner Flora Mworoa has ordered the immediate closure of Central SDA Church indefinitely.

The decision was arrived at after weeks of drama which saw rival factions clash with a section of irate church members turning their wrath on Pastor Jean Pierre Maywa and roughing him up.

Addressing the press on Saturday from her Nyayo House office, the County Commissioner stated that the church will only be reopened for fellowship after the wrangling factions resolve their differences.

Police have on more than one occasion been forced to intervene after previous meetings to resolve the impasse ended in chaos.

There was heavy police presence at the church yesterday with anti-riot police barring worshippers from accessing the church.

Worshippers who turned up for the service were directed to attend fellowship at St. George’s Girls’ High School in Hurlingham after the leadership of the church failed to resolve their conflict that has been running for more than two weeks now and which appears to be getting uglier by the day.

Nairobi Central SDA church Pulse Live Kenya

Reports indicate that this was in response anticipated chaos at the church’s annual camp meeting.

The tussle took a drastic turn on Wednesday after 15 members were expelled from the church, setting the stage for a clash that the police were keen to avert.

A letter addressed to all pastors and churches of the Central Kenya Conference announcing the expulsion read in part that “This is to let you know that the persons named do not belong to the Seventh Day Adventist faith and their names were dropped from our books”.

“You are strongly advised not to entertain or give them an audience in any of our churches for the sake of peace and unity in the church,” added the letter.

Charles Ouma