This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
Nairobi Central Seventh Day Adventist Church is planning to take the State to court over the indefinite closure of one of its branches. The church claims the closure was unconstitutional and illegal.
The church's leaders, led by Pastor John Ngunyi Kiragu, accused the Government of illegally locking out its worshipers from the premises. They claimed that a rival faction of former elders was pulling strings within State security to enforce the closure.
“We are concerned that the police action was skewed towards the aggressors. A person’s right of worship cannot be abridged by the threats of other parties,” Pastor Kiragu said.
The church's leaders also denied claims of leadership disputes within the church, saying the purported dispute was with a third party, the Nairobi Cosmopolitan Conference Ltd (NCC), members.
“We want to categorically state that we do not have any leadership dispute among members. The purported dispute was with a third party, the Nairobi Cosmopolitan Conference Ltd (NCC), members,” Pastor Kiragu said.
The church's leaders hinted at moving to court if the church is not re-opened, saying they have already notified their lawyers.
“We will appeal to the machinery of justice. We have already notified our lawyers,” Pastor Kiragu said.
