A church in Lugari Ward in Lugari Sub-County, Kakamega County, has been shut down over a Sh1 million land debt.
The Church of the Word of Life belonging to pastor Charles Maina Mutubia was closed down a month ago after it failed to pay the remaining balance of Sh2 million agreed on a 50 by 100 parcel of land near Panpaper Market.
According to Pastor Mutubia, misappropriation of church funds by certain church leaders caused financial constraints, hindering the church’s ability to meet its obligations.
Internal conflicts regarding the allocation of funds from fundraisers and offerings further complicated matters, leading to a division within the church leadership and impeding its operations.
“There has been a conflict in church as to where the money collected through fundraisers and offering went. The leadership of the church split and it has made it difficult to run operations and even clear the debt,” Pastor Mutubia said.
The landowner has demanded the relocation of the church, which has been in existence for seven years now, to another part of his property, a proposal opposed by the church leadership.
“He has told us that he will erect a fence and totally lock us outside the compound if we don’t clear the debt promptly,” the clergyman said.
Moreover, the church’s membership has dwindled significantly, with only 15 members remaining out of an initial 57.
Pastor Maina claims the area will return back to its dark days of evil and misfortune, something that his church had purportedly alleviated.
Tom Lutali is a seasoned scribe based in Lugari Sub-County in Kakamega County who writes human interest stories and sports for WKT.