Nairobi: The Methodist Church in Kenya (MCK) National Laity Fellowship has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of individuals implicated in the alleged loss of more than Sh600 million in church funds, accusing some senior church leaders of frustrating efforts to enforce accountability by suppressing the findings of a forensic audit.
According to Kenya News Agency, the fellowship also called for the implementation of recommendations contained in the forensic audit, the Jomvu Land Inquiry Commission report, and the church's constitutional review process, saying the three initiatives hold the key to restoring integrity, transparency, and unity within the institution. Speaking after the 3rd National Laity Convention at Mazeras Girls Memorial Secondary School in Kwale County, MCK Laity Fellowship President Dr. Hiram Mureithi Mucheke stated that the audit, covering the period between 2013 and 2023, uncovered widespread cases of fraud, theft, and pilferage involving church resources. He alleged that some former church officials sought to suppress the report to shield those implicated from accountability.
Mucheke insisted that all individuals linked to the alleged financial losses should be investigated and prosecuted to restore public confidence in the church's leadership. He emphasized the need for moral uprightness, integrity, and accountability within the church, urging stakeholders to demonstrate these values through concrete actions rather than lip service.
The forensic audit revealed that the church lost approximately Sh600 million through fraud, theft, and pilferage over ten years. Mucheke expressed concerns that efforts to cover up these findings were being made by those fearing accountability for financial misdeeds committed while in office.
The fellowship also renewed calls for justice over the disputed 54-acre Jomvu church land in Mombasa, alleging that some church leaders irregularly subdivided the property, allocated portions to themselves, sold the land, and misappropriated the proceeds. The fellowship claimed that members who had occupied the land for decades were unfairly dispossessed and urged the church leadership to implement the recommendations of the Jomvu Land Inquiry Commission without further delay.
Mucheke highlighted the impunity and lack of empathy in the Jomvu land case, urging those responsible to be held accountable. He also pushed for reforms to the church's 1967 Deed of Church Order to decentralize governance, strengthen accountability, improve human resource management, and align the church's administrative structure with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
The proposed reforms were approved during the church's 58th Annual Conference in 2024, but implementation stalled after a court order halted a special conference scheduled for April 2025 to conclude the constitutional review process. This delay, Mucheke noted, perpetuates historical inequalities within the church and weakens service delivery.
The fellowship condemned the unlawful removal of the church's duly elected Presiding Bishop in July 2025, maintaining that the decision violated the church's constitution and standing orders. It urged those involved in the leadership dispute to embrace reconciliation and restore the church's dignity and unity.
Furthermore, the laity called for formal recognition of the fellowship at all levels of church governance, citing years of being sidelined despite playing a central role in the church's ministry and mission. Ousted MCK Presiding Bishop Rev. Isaiah Deye supported the fellowship's position, emphasizing the importance of implementing the recommendations from the forensic audit, the Jomvu Land Inquiry Commission, and the constitutional review process to resolve leadership disputes and promote accountability.