Rowdy AIPCA faithful eject Bishop Ayub Kigotho from Rurii Church

African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa Bishop Ayub Kigotho pleads with worshippers after he was ejected from Uiguano Rurii Church, Nyandarua County, on August 5, 2018. PHOTO | WAIKWA MAINA| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Efforts by Bishop Kigotho to plead with his flock fell on deaf ears of the rowdy worshippers who sang songs against him.

  • The six loyal priests, who had arrived at the church early in the morning, broke the padlocks, entered the church and started a worship session as they awaited the bishop’s arrival.

Drama erupted at African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) Uiguano Rurii Church, in Nyandarua County, on Sunday after worshipers attacked and forced a bishop out of the church compound.

The worshippers told Bishop Ayub Kigotho that they neither required his sermon nor services.

Efforts by Bishop Kigotho to plead with his flock fell on deaf ears of the rowdy worshippers who sang songs against him.

The worshippers locked the gate, forcing the bishop, who was accompanied by a few church elders, to camp outside the church, as a section of priests loyal to the bishop watched from inside the church compound.

The six loyal priests, who had arrived at the church early in the morning, broke the padlocks, entered the church and started a worship session as they awaited the bishop’s arrival.

PARALLEL SERVICE

Church members, who refused to enter into the church, started a parallel service, which was interrupted by the arrival of the bishop.

Bishops during a church service at African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa Uiguano Rurii Church, Nyandarua County, on August 5, 2018. PHOTO | WAIKWA MAINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

“Your services are not needed here. Go where you belong, you won't access the church, you are a troublemaker,” shouted a worshiper as a group of young men pushed the man of God out of the church compound.

The worshipers threatened to be violent when the bishop returned into the church compound in the company a team of senior police officers led by OCS Mark Masinde and Administration Police Inspector Samuel Mutua. The rowdy crowd once again forced the man of God outside the compound.

ROWDY

“I am neither ashamed nor bothered. It is just an indication of a lost sheep that require guidance, It shows that I have a lot of work to do, I won’t condemn them, it’s a challenge to me,” said the bishop.

Trouble in the church began in January when a number of worshipers were injured in a fight that also led to massive destruction of church property.

Some of the worshippers were in support of bishop Kigotho, while others supported Bishop Suleiman Kimani.

This led to the closure of the church by Nyandarua Sub-County security team, until last Sunday when Bishop Kimani conducted a service.

But on Sunday, Bishop Kigotho insisted that he was in-charge of Nyandarua North Diocese and that Uiguano Church in Kianda Parish was under his jurisdiction.