Deregistered Churches In Kenya

This blog post will explore the world of religion and unveil the Deregistered Churches In Kenya. It will mention when each church began, their leaders, years of operation and the reasons for being among the Delisted Churches in Kenya.

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List of 10 Deregistered Churches In Kenya

In as much as the Kenyan constitution allows the freedom of worship, the same law still has to overlook matters that church practices and in the end harm the believers.

With that, below is a list of the the so far Delisted Churches in Kenya:

New Life Prayer Centre and Church

It is owned by the well-known self-claimed pastor, Pastor Ezekiel Odera together with his wife Pastor Sarah Wanzu.

Ezekiel praises the church as a beacon that offers hope and love to the community members and says that were it not for Pius Muiru his father of faith, he never would have begun the church.

Pastor Ezekiel Odero’s New Life Prayer Centre and Church, which sits on a 65-acre parcel of land in Mavueni, Kilifi North, literally dominates the skyline of the small town and a neighbouring settlement.

New Life Prayer Centre and Church was registered on September 11, 2012, under registration number 3877 hence has been operational for more than 10 years.

Odero was charged with murder, kidnapping, assisting suicide, radicalization, genocide, child abuse, fraud, crimes against humanity and money laundering.

This was the reason why the Registrar of Societies delisted the church on May 19 2023.

Good news International Ministries Church

GNIM was founded in 2003 by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, as a small church.

Before the founding, Mackenzie worked as a taxi driver in Nairobi from 1997 to 2003, during which he was charged four times for his sermons but was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

It has been operational for more than two decades. Registrar of Societies in Kenya deregistered Good News International Ministries as part of the government’s crackdown on unscrupulous churches.

This came after Mackenzie was charged with relation to 491 deaths of his believers whom he starved to death in the belief of going to heaven.

Helicopter of Christ Church

Helicopter of Christ Church was established in 2006.

Bishop Thomas Wahome goes as the presiding Bishop and founder of the church together with his wife Ms Leah Kasyoki whom he divorced.

It has been operational for more than 20 years but the church’s registration was cut short after it was deregistered, a move which the bishop termed as witch hunt.

He was charged for asking his congregants for 1000 shillings as tithe every Sunday something that he said is part of the true gospel that he preaches.

Theophilus church

With no clear information of the year when the church began its roots in Kenya, specifically in the streets of Githurai, the church seems to have stayed in the religious industry for a long.

It was among the 5 churches that were deregistered by the government following false teachings.

On May 19 2023, the church was under scrutiny and authorities intervened to curb the dissemination of radical teachings that posed a threat to national security.

King’s Outreach Church

The founder of the church is the self-claimed Mightiest Prophet Dr. David Owuor. The church later changed to Repentance and Holiness and has since gained millions of followers with prophet Owuor’s repentance and healing rallies attracting thousands across the globe.

This denomination was among the 5 delisted churches in Kenya on May 19th 2023.

The reason why they were deregistered is because the registrar of societies believed that the church exploited its members.

The main Bishop of the church however clarified that the deregistration had nothing to do with Shakahola as it was put in the media.

Glorious Gate Ministries

It is a Pentecostal religious ministry with branches in various parts of Kenya. The headquarters is at Syokimau, under Bishop Mary Mwaniki.

The church has been operational for 20 years and has since gained popularity.

The church was deregistered when the authorities cracked down on the activities that violated ethical and legal forms.

It was also alleged that the church was involved in fraudulent and illegal schemes.

Heavenly Sanctuary Church

It was initially founded by Pastor Esther Nyambura and was later transferred to a church council.

It was established in 2007 in Naivasha hence has been operational for 17 years.

In 2019, the church was in the headlines and among the churches being deregistered.

It was discovered that the church has been operating without proper oversight and governance structures.

The government intervened to safeguard against the potential for abuse and exploitation of its members.

Eternal light Ministries

Its headquarters were established in Kitale by reverend James Kamau who grew the church from scratch and established many branches around the world.

It has been among the registered churches for 12 years having been established in the year 2012.

Come 2021, Eternal Light Ministries was deregistered by the Registrar of Societies for noncompliance with tax laws. This meant that they had not been paying taxes for long as per the law’s requirements.

Glory tabernacle Ministry

Since its establishment in Thika, it has been operational since 1995. This calls its duration in the religion phase for more than two and a half decades.

Reverend Grace Mutua was the lead founder of this ministry in Kenya and grew it to various branches all over the nation. She later transferred the headquarters from Thika to Mombasa.

Later in 2018, this church was deregistered among many others after a crackdown that unveiled the church having flouted building codes and zoning regulations as per the constitution.