A new audit report has shown that at least five religious institutions in the country are now in the Kenya Revenue Authority's (KRA) list of top taxpayers in the country.
The richest church makes over Sh1 billion in annual incomes, challenging some of the big companies in terms of taxable income generated .
Sources say most of these rich churches have invested heavily in different sectors of the economy including the health sector, real estate, education among others.
Surprisingly, the famous Catholic church which has multitude followers did not feature on the top 5 list.
The following is the list of the top five richest churches in Kenya:
1. Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM)
CITAM once again maintained its top spot after generating an annual income of Sh1.83 billion in 2017, an improvement from Sh1.5 billion recorded in the year 2016.
2. Nairobi Chapel
The Nairobi Chapel church earned a total income of Sh632.33 million in 2017, an improvement from Sh434.57 million recorded in 2016.
3. Mavuno Church
Mavuno Church emerged third with a total annual income of KSh 291 million.
4. All Saints Cathedral
All Saint's Cathedral, which is the largest Anglican Church in the country, is the fourth position with a total income of Sh240.91 million in the year 2017, a very big improvement from 2016 in which total income amounted to Sh222.95 million.
Nairobi Baptist Church
It had a total annual income of Sh163 million in the year 2017.