• Two court rulings have approved Muhoro's appointment but Archbishop Wang'ombe rejects him.
• He says he is ready to use any means to block an appointee of his rival from heading Nyandarua south.
Image: Ndichu Wainaina
The African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa is headed for fierce leadership wrangles in Nyandarua south diocese.
Archbishop Fredrick Wang’ombe on Sunday urged his followers to be ready to bar Bishop Simon Muhoro who was appointed by his rival Archbishop Julius Njoroge to take charge of Nyandarua south. Bishop John Maina serves under Wang’ombe in that diocese.
Wang’ombe spoke following two court rulings that allowed Muhoro to work in the diocese. Muhoro was appointed by Njoroge on December 19, 2018 to serve in the diocese but Wang’ombe’s faction moved to Engineer court where the matter was dismissed with costs in March. They proceeded to the High Court in Nyahururu where the case was again dismissed with costs on June 11 this year.
Muhoro celebrated his victory during a thanksgiving service at Cuma AIPCA church in Kinangop on Sunday in presence of Archbishop Njoroge’s personal assistant Moses Gitonga.
“I want to promise all the AIPCA Nyandarua south congregants that I am ready to serve them wherever they are. I will call on God to bless them. I will bless them and conduct all their ceremonies. I will pray with those facing various challenges," he said.
Elsewhere at AIPCA Engineer cathedral, Wang’ombe whose home is in Rwanyambo in Kinangop led a thanksgiving service and urged his followers to support Bishop Maina and bar anyone else from the region. He said Nyandarua south diocese is his home and any bishop who serves the region must have his backing.
“Even if Bishop Maina is transferred, whoever takes over shall be backed by Wang’ombe so that people should not think we are dying. This is our home and we are not vacating, “he said
Wang’ombe said although fighting was not his nature, it had necessary while rebuilding the AIPCA church. He said one of Jesus's disciples, Peter, got angry when Jesus was being arrested after betrayal and cut off the ear of one of the arresting officers. But Jesus told him to return his sword to its sheath because time to use the sword was not yet due.
“If Jesus said so, why not Wang’ombe? There are some elements which need to be done away with," he said
But even as he declared war against rivals in Nyandarua south diocese, Wang’ombe urged his national rivals, archbishops Julius Njoroge and Samson Muthuri, to agree to a tribunal to seek lasting peace.
“We urge our archbishops Njoroge and Muthuri to agree that we come together and explore how we can unite AIPCA as one church," he said.