MAN USES MOI NAME TO DEMOLISH CHURCH IN NAKURU

The Nakuru Chrisco Church has obtained court orders restraining a private developer from interfering with its property located in the town’s Industrial Area.

This comes after over 40 people sent by the developer who is a former Nakuru town mayor Samuel Towett raided the church compound where they dropped construction material and drilled trenches.

Chrisco went to court thereafter and through its lawyer Dominic Kimata was granted an injunction against Towett and his agents by outgoing Nakuru High Court judge Hellen Omondi.

Elders of the church under Bishop Daniel Gitau said that the church acquired the 0.86 hectares plot in 2009 although the title deed was issued in 2004.

Towett claims to have acquired a title deed for the same property only last November.

The church premises are administered by Pastor Mark Litali and among its founder members-cum-elders are prominent and respected Nakuru personalities including a renown surgeon, Isaac Ng’etich of the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital, the proprietor of Riva Petroleum Companies Peter Njeru, auditor Samuel Rotich and Wesley Lang’at.

Rotich said that the church bought the land from a   worker at the defunct Moi-owned Rift Valley Hatcheries Company Joseph Muge who is a retired army colonel,

“Since 2010, the church workers and its worshippers have been using the premises without interruption until last Saturday when 40 invaders, mostly youth, threatened those present and dug trenches to erect a wall along the fence of the church,” said Rotich.

Rotich adds that the claimant to the premises and land boasts that he is a “close relative of Daniel Moi hence untouchable and can even demolish the church” located on plot number 8/36 Nakuru municipality.

“Last week he mobilised about 400 goons who threatened to destroy the church and block its officials from carrying out their activities,” he stated.

A source privy to the dealings informed us that a company linked to Towett and his sonused the title deed obtained last year in November to secure a Sh5milion loan from the Co-operative Bank.

The source said that the church will table evidence in court once it starts interparties sittings on September 29, this year to prove that Chrisco Church has paid all lands rates fees through Odhiambo and Odhiambo Advocates law firm of Nakuru.

“We shall also prove that the said company is using the land for speculative purposes at the expense of service to God, since it used Cooperative Bank manager to secure a loan. The manager, one Joshua, was transferred to Naivasha before the loan was approved only for it to be later approved at its Naivasha branch just before the manager resigned from the bank’s managerial position,” said a church goer.