Two senior pastors, Bishop Arthur Kitonga (Redeemed Gospel Church - RGC) and Wilfred Lai (Jesus Celebration Centre - JCC) locked horns in a legal battle in June 2015, over ownership of a church in Makindu.
Differences over the ownership of the church in Makueni County started on July 13, 2014 when Bishop Lai attempted to register the church under JCC.
Faithful of Bishop Kitonga however, moved to Makindu Magistrate's Court immediately to stop him from trespassing into the property.
On his part, Lai through lawyer John Khaminwa rushed to the High Court in Mombasa and filed an application before Justice Edward Mureithi to temporarily stop the proceedings in Makindu.
The judge also ordered Lai to serve Kitonga and directed the file to be placed before Mombasa Resident Judge Mathew Emukule who fixed a date for the hearing of the application.
When the case came up for hearing before Justice Emukule, lawyer Steven Adere who represented Bishop Kitonga asked the High Court to dismiss the application which sought to halt the proceedings in Makindu.
As covered by the Standard, Kitonga told the court that Lai's JCC Church had no legal right to take over the church complex at Makindu because it does not belong to him.
"Jesus Celebration Centre JCC church headed by Bishop Dr Wilfred Lai is operating illegally in the country because it has not been registered by the Registrar of Societies. I have a letter from Registrar of Societies which says that JCC has not been registered by Registrar of Societies," Adere said during the hearing.
Khaminwa however said that the disputed church belonged to JCC and asked the court to have the trespass case against Lai at the Makindu court stopped.
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