PAG church holds elections after six years leadership wrangles

Clerics vote during elections of Pentecostal Assemblies of God Kenya (PAG-K) church officials at Nyang’ori Mission headquarters in Vihiga October 1, 2024.  [Brian Kisanji, Standard]

Pentecostal Assemblies of God Kenya (PAG-K) church kicked off elections Tuesday at Nyang’ori Mission headquarters in Vihiga.

Thousands of clerics cast their votes to elect leaders for the church.

More than 5,000 delegates are expected to elect a General Superintendent who serves as the church’s head, a general secretary and a general treasurer. 

The General Superintendent race has attracted Kenneth Adiara and Dr Christopher Kilasi who are seeking to dethrone the incumbent Bishop Patrick Lihanda.

Julius Rono, Cornelius Simiyu and Isiah Kipsang will face off in the general treasurer's elections while Richard Obwogi and Isaac Nyakundi will battle it out for the general secretary’s seat.

PAG faithful across the country are hoping that the elections will end the six-year leadership wrangles.

The church has been embroiled in a legal battle for six years and on July 11, a Vihiga court ordered the church to conduct elections within 90 days as per their constitution of 1998.

The elections are being overseen by the Registrar of Societies and an Electoral Committee chaired by Christ Is The Answer Ministry (CITAM) Presiding Bishop Calisto Odede.

Leadership wrangles in the church date back to 2015 but escalated in 2018 and 2019 following disagreements over the election of the General Superintendent and officials in over 128 church districts across the country.