Planned installation of new South Rift AIC bishop aborts

By Peter Mutai

There was heavy presence of armed security personnel at African Inland Church (AIC) Litein Church in Buret District where the planned installation of a new bishop had been scheduled to take place.

However, the installation ceremony of a new bishop to head AIC South Rift Area aborted following a court order stopping the exercise, which was to be presided over by AIC Presiding Bishop Silas Yego.

The ceremony turned out to be an occasion to ordain eight pastors of the church to the position of reverends in a function that was conducted by AIC South Rift Area deputy Bishop Rev Paul Kirui and witnessed by Bishop Yego.

On Friday, the High Court in Kericho issued a temporary injunction stopping the planned installation of Rev Kirui to head the church in the region further complicating leadership wrangles within the church.

Kericho Resident Judge Jean Gacheche issued temporary orders of injunction restraining Kirui from being installed as the new bishop of the South Rift region to take over from Bishop Edwin Koech.

Malicious

Justice Gacheche also issued orders barring AIC Kenya South Rift Area Church Council and the church’s administrative secretary Rev Richard Rono or their agents from organising or conducting the installation of Rev Kirui.

The judge issued the orders following a successful application filed by Koech, the AIC South Rift Area Bishop challenging his ouster and suspension as the ordained minister on grounds that the suspension was malicious.

Late last year, AIC Central Church Council suspended Koech over allegations of harassment leveled against him by a former acting Principal of Litein AIC Girls Secondary School, an incident which Koech has since denied.

constitution

On Sunday, Yego denied that ceremony was to be used to install a new bishop to replace Koech, saying the occasion was only meant to ordain pastors. The Council had appointed Kirui as acting bishop.

"We have a constitution to follow and I cannot violate it. We have to announce elections which will take place soon. God willing I will be doing it even if it is him (Kirui) or any other person," he said.

In a rejoinder, Koech who skipped the function laughed off the ordination of the eight pastors and termed the move as illegal, saying the ordination can only be conducted by the registered area bishop.

"A full bishop who has been installed by the church and registered at the Registrar of Societies at the Attorney General’s office under Cap 108 is only mandated to conduct ordination," Koech said.

He said the ordination of new ministers should have been done in their respective regions and not in the church Area headquarters — South Rift Area offices at Litein AIC church.

However, Yego claimed that the ordination was proper, arguing that the assistant bishop has not broken the church constitution as alleged.