This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
On June 17, 2020, the Seventh Day Adventist Church's South Kenya President, Dr Julius Bichanga, was suspended amidst allegations of child negligence and misconduct.
The move, sanctioned by the church's Executive organ, has sparked concerns of a potential split within the Kisii bloc.
According to the Executive, Dr Bichanga's suspension will pave the way for an investigation into allegations of irregularities in his administration and failure to provide child support to a child born out of wedlock.
Dr Bichanga has dismissed the allegations as baseless, citing an ongoing court case regarding child support.
He has also denied claims of misappropriating funds for the construction of Nyanchwa Mission Hospital.
However, some church elders have come forward, alleging that the church leadership is bent on vilifying Dr Bichanga on flimsy grounds.
They claim that the church leadership has a history of triggering conflicts during election periods to ensure their favored candidates are unchallenged.
“The South Kenya conference has sidelined some leaders from other churches, especially from the Omobera conference, for a long time,” said Nicodemus Nyangeri, a church elder.
He further alleged that a senior church leader, who also serves on the national executive, engineered Dr Bichanga's suspension.
