Evangelicals gang up against Citizen TV’s Linus Kaikai

Linus Kaikai called out “preachers.” And some Evangelical bishops are not happy.

In a press statement on March 11, the a caucus of Evangelical bishops called on the Citizen TV journalist to apologise following what they termed as “ideological arrogance” from the Royal Media Services (RMS) Director of Strategy and Innovations.

The caucus of around 10 bishops castigated the veteran journalist after an editorial that aired last week in which the Citizen TV editor called out rogue preachers who prey on their congregation, saying they need to be “accountable to a being other than God.”

The statement termed the language used in Kaikai’s editorial as “dirty, arrogant, highly disrespectful, derogatory and very provocative.”

“We demand that this unwarranted attack on God’s servants cannot be tolerated and we demand an apology from the media house where the said journalist works,” it said.

Representing some evangelical churches in Kenya, the group said Kaikai and those who hold similar views to him were practicing intellectual arrogance as freedom of worship guarantees Kenyans the right to worship as they deem fit.

“It is ideological arrogance for the likes of Kaikai to imagine that the only right way to worship is how they imagine to be correct… singling out the church is harassment and we cannot stand for it,” they said.

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Linus Kaikai’s Kicker

During the Press Gang show on Citizen TV last week, Linus Kaikai did not mince words when he said that it is time for so called churches (in quotes) to be regulated and observe the law of the land. Kaikai said that preachers should be allowed to have a church only after having attained theological certification.

“It is time their [churches] existence and operations become compatible with the laws of fellow men, the mandate of the constitution and the sanction of government,” Kaikai retorted.

The former NTV General Manager argued that the people behind these churches had gone rogue, “all in the name of faith, all in the name of Jesus, all in the name of God.”

While listing scandals that are currently dogging “supposed mighty Apostles, Bishops and men of God”, Kaikai said the rogue pastors are conmen who must have their date with the police and the law courts.

“We are dealing with thieves, not men of God. These are cold blooded evangelical vampires living off the blood of their flock in the name of Jesus.”

“Sunday has become the most profitable day on the trading floor, offerings flow like a mighty river and onward into their private accounts!”

The statement released on Monday by the evangelical leaders did not take lightly to some of the descriptions used by Kaikai, saying the journalist was “evidently bracket profiling.”

“We believe that this is not what we are and we dissociate with anyone who fits this regrettable description,”

The evangelical group also mentioned that rogue preachers are ” like a few rotten tomatoes in a big bag” and that the government has adequate machinery to easily target and prosecute such individuals.

“We condemn with the highest terms all those misrepresenting the true message of the cross – those masquerading as prophets of God but their characters and lifestyles are contrary to the word of God,” they said.

In as far as church regulation is concerned, the bishops said it has already submitted a draft religious bill to the current Attorney General, but that the alliance’s position is self-regulation.

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