By Betty Luke
Differences played out during Tuesday’s National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Isiolo branch elections where one group allied to the outgoing Chair Stephen Kalunyu claimed that the exercise was marred with irregularities.
Reverend Nathan Maingi, who was Bishop Kalunyu’s Vice-Chair, won the Chairperson seat during the elections that were conducted at Methodist Church of Kenya in Isiolo town and presided over by the Upper Eastern NCCK Manager Jeniffer Ciomaua on April 20.
The National Independent Church of Africa (NICA) members complained that the elections were conducted in an unfair manner and that all their five contestants were discriminated against.
The posts that were contested included that of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Youth, Women, Elderly and Persons living with disabilities representatives.
Among the churches that took part in the disputed polls were the Methodist Church of Kenya (MCK), Salvation Army Church, Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG), Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) and Nica.
Pastor Julius Thuranira of Nica Church said that his proposal to have Bishop Kalunyu re-elected was dismissed without members present making their contributions.
The cleric claimed that some of the churches got better treatment than others and that one of them got two seats while others were left with none.
“Those elected are not our leaders and we do not recognise them,” he maintained.
Pastor Pauline Chebet demanded that the elections be done afresh and all parties interested in various seats be given equal opportunities and fair treatment,” Ms Chebet said.
The church proposal to have Mr Thuranira picked as the youth representative was turned down with no reason provided, the clergy said.
“We will not recognize the elected leaders until a fresh election is conducted,” said Pastor Eunice Mutethia.
Journalists’ efforts to get a comment from Ms Ciamaua over the allegations were futile as she refused to comment while at the Isiolo town MCK church on Wednesday afternoon.
The wrangles threaten to tear apart the Isiolo NCCK leadership which could taint the organisation’s image.
