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.
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 on Sunday after the 3rd National Laity Convention at Mazeras Girls Memorial Secondary School in Kwale County, MCK Laity Fellowship President Dr Hiram Mureithi Mucheke said the forensic audit, covering the period between 2013 and 2023, uncovered widespread cases of fraud, theft and pilferage involving church resources.
He alleged that instead of acting on the findings, some former church officials had sought to suppress the report to shield those implicated from accountability.
Mucheke said the fellowship was demanding the immediate implementation of the audit recommendations, insisting that all individuals linked to the alleged financial losses be investigated and prosecuted to restore public confidence in the church’s leadership.
“Much needs to be done in the Methodist Church in Kenya to stem the loss of church funds and resources through corruption, theft, misplaced priorities, and impunity,” said Mucheke.
He added, “We call on stakeholders at all levels of the church to commit themselves to moral uprightness, integrity, accountability, and, above all, godliness in the management of the affairs of our beloved church. This commitment should be demonstrated not through lip service but through concrete action.”
Mucheke disclosed that the audit established the church lost approximately Sh600 million through fraud, theft and pilferage over the ten years.
“There have been efforts to cover up the findings of the forensic audit by those who fear they will be held accountable for financial misdeeds committed while they were in office. We believe those responsible must be held accountable instead of frustrating the implementation of the audit recommendations,” he said.
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.
It 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.
“The Jomvu Land Inquiry Commission revealed disturbing information about what happened to members who were supposed to benefit from the allocation of the land but were instead denied what was rightfully theirs,” Mucheke stated.
“What we are witnessing in the Jomvu land case is impunity, a lack of empathy, and a lack of care by those who ensured they benefited from the land instead of the rightful beneficiaries,” he added.
The fellowship further renewed its push for amendments to the church’s 1967 Deed of Church Order, arguing that the proposed reforms would decentralise governance, strengthen accountability, improve human resource management and align the church’s administrative structure with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
According to Mucheke, the reforms were approved during the church’s 58th Annual Conference in 2024, but implementation stalled after a court order halted a special conference that had been scheduled for April 2025 to conclude the constitutional review process.
He said the delay had perpetuated historical inequalities within the church, slowed the establishment of regional conferences, weakened service delivery and denied lay members meaningful participation in decision-making.
The fellowship also condemned what it described as 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, repent, and work towards restoring the dignity and unity of the church.
The laity further called for formal recognition of the fellowship at all levels of church governance, saying lay members had for years been sidelined despite playing a central role in the church’s ministry and mission.
Speaking at the same function, ousted MCK Presiding Bishop Rev. Isaiah Deye backed the fellowship’s position, saying the church had already spent millions of shillings undertaking the forensic audit, the Jomvu Land Inquiry Commission and the constitutional review process.
He said implementing the recommendations contained in the three reports would help resolve the church’s leadership disputes, strengthen governance, promote accountability, and restore members’ confidence in the institution.
By Sadik Hassan
