PAG church's accounts frozen in Sh11m row

The accounts of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God church have been frozen in a legal suit with its pastors.

A court in Vihiga issued the freeze order after Pastors Stephen Malande, James Ombodo and Ronald Ombego moved to court accusing the church of not remitting their retirement benefits totalling Sh11 million.

Principal Magistrate Jacinta Orwa granted an interim injunction restraining the church’s executive from operating, accessing and withdrawing money from the church’s accounts.

“An interim order of injunction do and is hereby issued restraining the defendants whether acting by themselves or their servants, employees and in any manner whatsoever from operating, accessing, withdrawing any monies from the church’s accounts,” reads the order obtained last week.

The church’s General Superintendent Patrick Lihanda, Elisha Kimaiyo, Zedekia Orera and the church in general have been included as defendants in the case that resumes tomorrow.

The complainants want the court to issue an injunction restraining Lihanda from continuing to act in his position, which gives him authority to manage contributions of church members.

They also want the church’s executive be compelled to remit to the pastors’ and staff of PAG retirement scheme all the outstanding arrears.

“What worries us is that the profit for the months not remitted will not be available to us upon retirement. That is why we moved to court,” they said. According to Mr Malande, pastors allied to the church contribute money every month through their overseers, which is then forwarded to Nyang’ori Mission (church’s headquarters) to be forwarded by church’s executive to retirement benefits authority.

“This is however not the case as the money that we sacrifice to contribute is embezzled, misused or diverted and converted by the executive to other functions unrelated to retirement benefits contrary to law,” said Malande.

He said since coming into office in 2014, the current executive has shown little concern for the welfare of the preachers.

Malande says he joined the retirement scheme in 1998 and has been a member ever since. “I attended the Annual General Meeting of the scheme on Dec 9, 2015 where the financial report was read and it emerged that the sponsor of the scheme had failed to remit members’ contributions,” the statement reads.

The church has had sharp divisions and physical scuffles in the last two years, with police often having to intervene.