Worshipers mill around Eagle Rise Christian Church at Makadara Shopping Centre within Athi River Township after the Church was closed following leadership wrangles. Photo by Our Reporter. 
By Soo TV Reporter
Athi River, Machakos County – Tensions boiled over at Eagle Rise Christian Church in Athi River on Sunday, forcing authorities to shut down the place of worship indefinitely after leadership wrangles nearly turned violent.
The church, located at Makadara Shopping Centre within Athi River Township, has remained locked since the dramatic confrontation that saw two rival factions of church leadership engage in a near physical altercation. Police officers from Athi River Police Station were called to the scene to restore order and subsequently locked the premises pending resolution of the dispute.
When Soo TV arrived at the scene at 2:30 PM, a group of agitated congregants could be seen shouting outside the church gate. Some hurled insults at church leaders through the windows while others pleaded for calm. The church doors had already been shut and a padlock chained to the gate to prevent further access.
The chaos was sparked by an attempted transition of leadership from former pastor Nahashon Wambua Mwangangi to newly appointed pastor Emmanuel Kioko. However, a faction of the congregation, allegedly loyal to the ousted pastor, resisted the move.
According to the church’s chairman and presiding bishop Leonard Wambua, Mwangangi had been legally barred from accessing the church by a court order issued by the Mavoko Law Courts. Bishop Wambua alleged that Mwangangi had mobilized his wife, Monica Washuka, and some of their children to rally local residents in protest against Kioko’s appointment.
“There is a court order barring the former pastor, Nahashon Wambua Mwangangi, from accessing the church. He has been restrained,” said Wambua. “Today, we came to introduce the new pastor, Emmanuel Kioko, but it appears the former pastor’s family incited some locals to block the transition.”
Washuka, however, accused Bishop Wambua of interfering in the church’s affairs and rejected the legitimacy of the leadership change. She also voiced strong opposition to the police decision to close the church, arguing that it was unjust to lock out congregants who had contributed to building the sanctuary.
“We don’t want them to close the church. It’s better you close it yourselves,” she told the officers at the scene.
Washuka emphasized that the church structure was built through the sacrifices of local faithful, who donated their resources and time for its construction.
Authorities have yet to announce when or how the church will be reopened. For now, Eagle Rise Christian Church remains a symbol of division, with its doors shut until the bitter leadership conflict is resolved through legal and ecclesiastical channels.
