Police flooded the Kenya Methodist Church headquarters where chaos was expected during the church’s annual conference where elections for president of the Africa Methodist Council were held.
This is after lawyer Danstan Omari moved to court to seek protection on grounds that goons had been hired to disrupt the conference.
Presiding Bishop Joseph Ntombura was peacefully re-elected for another two years as the Council president.
It is alleged that the goons had been hired by ex-communicated bishops of the church to come and disrupt peace.
Bishop Ntombura said in a press conference at the HQ that he was thankful to all delegates who voted him in to continue with the work they had started.
“We wanted to have a peaceful annual conference and we have had it although a few individuals that we have ex-communicated, former retired bishops with a few who were interested heavily in our property, were threatening that there would not be peace here and because we knew they were few, we had to move to court because we know these were the people who were spreading only terror and lawlessness. They wanted to take the leadership of the church by force,” Bishop Ntombura said.
He said that if he had left the office pre-maturely, it would portray their church as a very weak and disunited church.
The Bishop said he has been receiving death threats over the stand of not giving in to wealthy investors to take over church property.
Some of the properties targeted include Kenya Methodist University (KEMU) Nairobi campus and the Methodist Resort Center in Nairobi.
The bishop said that in December 2021, armed goons invaded their offices over the forced sale of property where the goons boasted that they enjoy police protection.
The church owns properties valued at approximately Sh 400 billion.
Lawyer Omari said he has instructions from the Methodist church to defend every single property of the church including land, buildings, vehicles among others.
“We have full instructions to defend and we are putting to notice any land grabber, any government officer or private entity eying the property of Methodist University, your days are numbered, we shall be moving to court to sue you in person by your name,” Omari said
