The leadership of the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in Nairobi protested on Saturday by a police movement to close its place of worship without warning.
The associate pastor of the Peter Nyagah church called it an affront to freedom of worship.
“Our Constitution is being judged,” he told reporters outside the church.
FREEDOM
“We believe we have freedom of association and worship. This is a religious freedom on trial, but because of what happened, we are citizens who abide by the laws, we don’t want to cause any chaos, ”he added.
Early Saturday morning, a contingent of police officers deployed in the church had their truck parked outside the door of the Nairobi Central Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Armed officers in uniform and other civilian clothes, including those with dogs, patrolled various areas of the church while inspecting vehicles entering and leaving church facilities.
Officers blocked the entrance of the faithful to the church, in what was believed to be a movement aimed at preventing a close combat because at the beginning of the week, a group of 15 members had been excommunicated from the ASD Church “after the chaos they have been causing in Nairobi Central SDA Church. “
SERIOUS PROBLEMS
Sammy Masara, a retired journalist, is among the 15 on the list issued by the president of the Central Kenya Conference, Pastor John Kiragu.
Masara told the Nation that closing was necessary to give them time to resolve disagreements in the church.
“The closure is like a forced action to force the agenda to negotiate on these very serious matters,” he said.