Shepherds' sins: Men of God, dirty secrets and deceit

The removal of Reverend Munengi Mulandi from his position as Senior Pastor of Nairobi Baptist Church has reignited scrutiny over the conduct and accountability of church leaders in the country.

On August 3, 2025, the Nairobi Baptist Church Council of Elders announced the revocation of Mulandi’s ordination after reviewing allegations of gross misconduct. His resignation had reportedly taken effect on June 1, two months before the public announcement.

“As a church, we sadly can no longer affirm that he is qualified to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” the elders said in a statement.

The announcement did not specify the allegations, but online speculation was immediate. Some commentators linked the revocation to breaches of pastoral ethics, while others alleged more serious misconduct, including sexual abuse involving minors.

These claims remain unconfirmed, with the church maintaining its stance on withholding specific details.

The decision elicited mixed reactions. While some commended the church leadership for its rare transparency, others criticised the timing.

“It’s not an easy thing to do. This sort of action and accountability needs to be mirrored by other institutions in Kenya,” said media producer Toni Kamau.

Others questioned whether the church’s leadership had acted soon enough to prevent harm.

On social media, @BobbyVj, remarked,  “We sadly can no longer affirm that he is qualified, so he was serving all this time unqualified? What happened to discernment?”

The decisive action by the church has rekindled memories of previous scandals that have rocked the pulpit across the nation.

Celibacy vow

While the Mulandi case is the latest, Kenya’s religious history is filled with instances of clergy accused, and sometimes found guilty, of breaking vows, ethical standards  and the moral expectations of their office.

Clerical celibacy, a long-standing Roman Catholic tradition, has particularly been a source of controversy. Though priests vow lifelong celibacy, several have publicly broken that vow.

In 2019, the murder investigation of Catholic priest Michael Kyengo took a shocking turn when a prime suspect claimed he had been in a romantic relationship with the cleric.

The claims by the nursery school trained teacher sent investigators back to the drawing board, a day after a postmortem examination on the priest, confirmed that he died of stab wounds.

Kyengo’s body was discovered buried in a shallow grave, eight days after the priest was reported missing from his Matungulu home in Machakos County.

Detectives from the Special Crime Prevention Unit of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were torn between conducting a second postmortem to confirm claims of the romantic relationship.

“Just like in cases where claims of sexual nature are made, we are considering a second round of examination on his body to confirm if there was any intercourse,” a source familiar with the probe told The Nairobian.

Forensic examination of the suspect’s mobile phone further reinforced his claims after police discovered romantic text messages alleged to be between the preacher and the male teacher.

Sleuths travelled to Gaitegi village in Embu County where they confirmed that Kyengo was killed inside a rented house belonging to the suspect. Police recovered a knife from a pit latrine in the suspect’s home.

Another high-profile case in August 2024 involved Reverend Father Edwin Gathang’i Waiguru, who wed Margaret Wanjira Githui in a colourful ceremony at Michael’s Pot Gardens in Ikinu, Githunguri, Kiambu county.

The occasion blurred the lines between ecclesiastical tradition and personal fulfilment.

Theirs was no ordinary wedding, it took place on the same day Gathang’i was ordained as a Charismatic priest. He had served in North and South America but returned to Kenya intent on marrying and starting a family.

The Charismatic Church, while closely tied to Catholic tradition, allows its clergy to marry, a sharp contrast with the Catholic Church’s centuries-old rule of celibacy. At the ceremony, Gathang’i pledged: “I am very happy. To my wife, I promise to love you always.”

The move divided opinion among faithful. Supporters saw it as a legitimate exercise of personal freedom and a way to align with other Christian denominations that permit marriage while critics accused Gathang’i of undermining a long-standing discipline of the priesthood.

In June 2020, Father Titus Kimathi of Nkubu parish in Meru County married his girlfriend, Rhoda Wanja, at the Renewed Universal Catholic Church headquarters.

That church was founded by Bishop Peter Njogu, a former Catholic priest who had been excommunicated in 2002 after marrying his long-time partner, Berith Karimi.

Njogu, now a father of three, has been one of the most vocal opponents of mandatory celibacy, arguing that it fosters secrecy, hypocrisy and, in some cases, abuse.

In a past interview, Njogu said: “We want priests to get married so that they can live a pure life without pretence. Many priests and bishops have secret families which they have abandoned because they fear losing the privileges that come with priesthood.”

His stance found supporters among clergy who spoke anonymously, with one Nairobi priest telling reporters: “Everyone wants the issue of celibacy to be discussed and resolved. It’s true that we desire families. But it’s also true that some priests have secret families and others continue to prey on children to satisfy their sexual needs.”

The Vatican has in the past resisted sweeping reforms. According to the late Pope Francis, while celibacy is not a doctrinal requirement and married priests could serve in exceptional cases, the rule should largely remain in place.

Kenyan Catholic leadership echoed that position. Archbishop of Nairobi Philip Anyolo told the media that those who are leaving are a few individuals who the church continue to pray for to lead a holy life wherever they go.

While the Gathang’i and Kimathi cases centred on doctrinal disputes, others have involved deeply personal, and highly public, conflict.

Infidelity claims

One of the most sensational was the collapse of the marriage between former Catholic priest Anthony Oure and police officer Dorothy.

The pair met in 2005 at a convent in Eldoret where Dorothy was training as a nun. Oure, then based in Spain, was visiting on official duty.

Dorothy later said Oure began pursuing her during repeated visits. In 2007, she left the convent and joined the police force, but their friendship resumed when Oure returned from South Africa in 2013 after completing his PhD.

To show he was serious about settling down, Dorothy said Oure packed up his belongings from the Consolata Missionaries’ premises, effectively quitting the Catholic priesthood. They married in December 2013, but the relationship quickly soured.

Dorothy accused Oure of infidelity, alleging that she caught him with a sex worker in their Nakuru home, leading to physical altercations.

Fr Arias George of the Consolata Missionaries had confirmed Oure remained technically a priest because his status had not been formally resolved by the Church.

Such cases have fed a perception that religious institutions are often slow to address misconduct, leaving space for repeated controversies.

Critics say that, unlike Nairobi Baptist’s public announcement on Mulandi, many churches prefer to manage such matters quietly to protect their reputations.

The Mulandi case stands out for the church’s willingness to make a public statement and confirm the removal, even if details remain undisclosed.

In the age of social media, that decision may have been strategic. Allegations now surface and spread quickly online, sometimes without verification. Institutions that choose silence risk losing control of the narrative.

“For many congregants, faith in their leaders is rooted not only in theological teaching but in the personal integrity of those leaders,” says Derrick Kibet, a sociologist.

He adds that when the clergy’s integrity is questioned, it can cause lasting damage to trust, not just in the individual, but in the institution they represent.

Kenya’s religious history is dotted with moments when that trust was shaken.

The 2018 ordination of three married priests by Bishop Njogu’s Renewed Universal Catholic Church in Nyeri, a move that defied Catholic rules, was celebrated by some as liberating but condemned by others as schismatic.

Njogu insisted it was about honesty, “Celibacy is not biblical and doesn’t sanctify priesthood. We need to change the law on mandatory celibacy because it’s leading to allegations of child abuse in the church.”

Beyond the Catholic tradition, other denominations have also faced difficult moments.

Bitter leadership 

Financial scandals, sexual exploitation claims and bitter leadership disputes have repeatedly rocked Kenya’s churches. Each time, the fallout is similar, public trust in religious leadership is tested, and congregations split between defenders and critics of the accused.

The recurring question is accountability: should churches fully disclose allegations, or does discretion better protect their flock?

In Rev Mulandi’s case, Nairobi Baptist Church chose partial disclosure, confirming misconduct and revoking his ordination, but withholding specifics. For some, this marked rare progress; for others, it was insufficient.

“We need leaders who are beyond reproach, in public and in private. It’s not enough to react when scandal breaks,” said a Nairobi Baptist member who requested anonymity.

Sociologist Daniel Maina argues that such scandals reflect a broader moral crisis within Kenya’s faith communities. “These cases expose the tension between the sacred role of clergy and human vulnerability. It’s not just about individuals, but about systems that shield leaders from scrutiny and prioritise image over member protection,” he said. Maina added that misconduct by clergy is neither new nor unique to Kenya.

Street evangelist Robert Bor framed the root cause as spiritual, not structural: “The human heart strays from God’s ways. You can change rules or increase transparency, but unless the heart is transformed, failures will repeat.”

Bor cautioned against dismantling long‑held traditions such as celibacy based on scandal.

“Celibacy isn’t the problem; unfaithfulness to the calling is. When embraced sincerely, it can deepen devotion. Failure comes when vows are taken without readiness to honour them.”

The Mulandi case now joins a long list of controversies that have shaped Kenya’s uneasy conversation about faith, morality and leadership.

Whether it leads to reforms in vetting, oversight or transparency remains to be seen, but it has underscored one uncomfortable truth: even the shepherds must be watched.