Mulwa to be ordained as new head of AIC today

Bishop Abraham Mulwa.

Outgoing Presiding Bishop of Africa Inland Church (AIC) Silas Yego is confident that he is leaving the church in safe hands after 18 years at the helm.

Yego, who headed the church in various capacities since his ordination 45 years ago, said Bishop Abraham Mulwa who is taking over, has been a worthwhile deputy to him, and a worker who will definitely see the church grow.

Mulwa will be enthroned today at AIC Milimani, which acts as the seat of the church’s leader. He is also the bishop of Nairobi Area Church Council.

The event is expected to be graced by top political leadership including President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, alongside leaders from other denominations.

“Mulwa has been an evangelist, a pastor, a reverend and a bishop for the last 11 years; he started humble and went through all these steps to be the head now,” said Yego. 

Rev Stephen Mairori, the presiding pastor at AIC Milimani said having worked under Mulwa, he is confident he will fit into Yego’s shoes.

“I have worked with him previously and I am sure we will have a wonderful time in ministry,” Mairori noted. Yego thanked the the church council for supporting him throughout the 45 years he led the church.

Elected in january

The outgoing bishop retired on December 31 last year while Mulwa was elected with 68 votes on January 15 in an election that pitted him against Geoffrey Gichure of the Central Area Church Council who garnered 16 votes. He will be deputised by Rev Paul Kirui, the acting Bishop of South Rift Area Church Council who got 68 votes against Bishop Patrice Chumba of Nandi who managed 16 votes.

Yego said while retiring bishops are not allowed to choose successors, he was happy Mulwa and Kirui got the nod. He is proud of the new head because of a feat he achieved that proved his mettle in ministry. Yego said Mulwa grew a church in Pipeline in Nairobi from nothing to a church that boasts thousands of members.

“When they elected him, I said if he did grow that church from nothing to 7,000 people, then what about leading the bigger church?” said Yego who said his prayers for the right person to get the job were answered.

Bishop Yego said he is a missionary and he would continue being an envoy of AIC. The church has made inroads in Rwanda and Burundi and is headed for the Central Africa Republic and Chad living up to its founder’s Rev Peter Cameron Scott dream who 125 years ago said he wanted a chain of churches from Mombasa to Lake Chad. Scott and a team of missionaries formed the Africa Inland Mission (AIM). The team set up the first congregation in a place called Nzaui in Ukambani. In 1943, the church was nationalised and its name changed from the AIM to AIC.

“I want to fulfill that dream of seeing the churches along that line,” said Yego. He urged Mulwa to work closely with other leaders and church members.