By REUBEN OLITA
June 19, 2026| Senior clergy from the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Diocese of Katakwa have expressed concerns that the reopening of the defaced Katakwa Cathedral could take an unspecified period of time following unrest over the disputed election of Bishop-elect Dr Vitalis Job Ekuru (pictured).
While the bishop-elect has been receiving congratulatory messages from across the country—flooding in on social media platforms and from pockets of the faithful celebrating his victory—even the Nyahururu Diocese has officially congratulated him, the mood on the ground remains tense as the cathedral stays locked.
The clergy from the diocese’s seven archdeaconries convened an emergency meeting at the diocesan headquarters in Amagoro on Thursday to deliberate on the way forward amid growing tensions over the recently concluded bishop election.
The impromptu meeting came in the wake of Wednesday’s dramatic protests by Christians from the Katakwa Archdeaconry, who locked the cathedral, vicarage and congregants’ entrance gate in protest against the outcome of the election.
The protesters accused church leaders of failing to address their grievances and announced eight resolutions, which they said must be implemented to restore calm and confidence in the electoral process.
Briefing the press on Friday, Diocesan Vice Chairman Moffats Okisai said the reopening of Katakwa Cathedral was the prerogative of the Archbishop and that the church could remain closed for an unspecified period.
“The Cathedral might remain closed for an unspecified period of time. It is the prerogative of the Archbishop to reopen it, with his presence being mandatory,” said Okisai.
He condemned the actions of the protesters, particularly the defacing of inscriptions on the cathedral, describing the act as a desecration of the house of God.
“The action by some Christians to erase words from the Cathedral is tantamount to defiling the house of God, which is blasphemous,” he said.
Okisai likened the incident to the biblical account in the Old Testament where the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and took it to their temple, only for their god, Dagon, to fall before it.
On the June 13 bishop election, which was won by Dr Vitalis Job Ekuru, Okisai urged Christians to respect the outcome.
“The voice of the people is the voice of God. People have spoken, and their verdict should be honoured,” he said.
The vice chairman further revealed that both Moses Idewa Barasa and Cain Emojong had conceded defeat following the closely contested election.
The meeting was attended by Vicar General Isabella Inyele Imoh, who participated in her capacity as the head of Amagoro Archdeaconry, alongside clergy including Joel Okiru, Sylvester Lutta, Joel Oridi and Ven.
Moses Idewa of Alupe Archdeaconry.Bishop-elect Dr Ekuru, who represents Chamasiri Archdeaconry, did not attend the meeting.
Despite the tensions and uncertainty surrounding the reopening of the cathedral, the senior clergy reaffirmed that the consecration and enthronement of Bishop-elect Dr Ekuru, scheduled for July 25, will proceed as planned.