The Legion Maria faction led by Pope Raphael Adika contemplates taking legal action against those who made malicious claims that the clergyman was dead.
Pope Adika told a media briefing held at Corner Legio this morning that the announcement was made with malice and was aimed at causing unnecessary anxiety among the faithful and across the country.
The visibly angry clergyman accompanied by his close associates warned that Kenya’s Constitution and that of Legio Maria were clear on the kind of legal action that should be instituted under such circumstances.
Pope Adika said he was as fit as a fiddle as confirmed by the media from different organizations and so it was foolhardy for anyone to imagine or contemplate his death when he was still busy serving the faithful and humanity as a whole.
Persistent wrangles have rocked the church pitting the Adika faction against the other one led by his erstwhile nemesis Mr. Lawrence Ochieng Kalul, who has been fighting to be declared the rightful successor of the late Pope Romanus Ong’ombe.
Pope Ong’ombe passed on in April 2020 aged 96 years after having led the church since taking over from “Messiah” Melkio Ondeto who died in 1991.
On his part, the Most Rev. Odhiambo K’omenya said Kenya has very clear legislation and quickly pointed out that the leadership wrangles in the church was before the court and so they could not discuss outside the court.
He explained that as church leaders, they were willing and ready to facilitate the reunion of their faction and those opposed to their leadership so that they may move forward as one large family as was anticipated by the late “Messiah” Ondeto.
They challenged the media to report factually as opposed to past instances where their opponents were given unnecessary mileage even after they clearly stated their position.
Trouble started immediately after the death of Pope Ong’ombe when a section of the church differed on who was the bona fide replacement for him between Pope Adika and Mr. Lawrence Ochieng.
The latter had by then taken charge of Got Kwer to date, technically locking out Pope Adika who has continued operating from Corner Legio, Kisumu.
As a result of the vicious fight at Got Kwer, five faithful died thus escalating the misunderstanding which has not been able to be tackled once and for all.
By Joseph Ouma
