Elections leave NCCK Isiolo branch divided

Some clerics are up in arms over the just concluded National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) Isiolo branch elections.

The clerics say the polls, which were held on Tuesday at Isiolo town Methodist Church, were marred with irregularities and demanded that a fresh exercise be conducted.

Among the aggrieved churches is the National Independent Church of Africa (Nica) whose proposed contestants, including the outgoing Isiolo branch chairperson Stephen Kalunyu, were reportedly dismissed by the officials before voting was done.

The church leaders, who boycotted the elections, walked out of the hall disappointed and later addressed journalists lamenting over how the elections, attended by nearly 30 people, were conducted.

Ms Eunice Mutethia of Isiolo town’s Kiithe Nica church said they will not recognise the newly elected leaders as they were picked in an unfair process.

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The cleric said the positions were not fairly distributed across the nine churches and that one of the churches bagged two seats at the expense of others that did not get any.

“It is so sad that our concerns were not listened to and that is why we chose not to take part in the elections,” said Ms Mutethia.

Several churches among them the Methodist Church, PCEA, Salvation Army, Anglican Church (ACK), Africa Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA), Kenya Assemblies of God and Free Pentecostal Churches Kenya (FCPK) took part in the elections.

The members accused the elections presiding officer of meddling in the elections saying she failed to call off the exercise to ensure the concerns raised were addressed.

Ms Pauline Chebet said a proposal to have Julius Thuranira of Nica church elected as the youth representative was dismissed and his bid cancelled without any reason provided.

“We want the elections repeated because those elected were not picked in a fair process,” she said adding that such happenings could divide the interdenominational organisation and make people lose trust in it.

Officials who did not want to be named said the process was fair and transparent.

The regional NCCK manager who presided over the elections refused to comment on the allegations when reached out for comment while at the Isiolo town Methodist Church grounds.

She also refused to share with journalists a copy of the list of the newly elected and their respective churches.

Outgoing chair Stephen Kalunyu was replaced by his vice-chair Nathan Maingi of AIPCA church.