During a meeting at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua brokered a truce between factions within the African Independent Pentecostal Churches of Africa (AIPCA). The decades-long rifts, which have lasted 17 years, are set to be resolved ahead of the church’s elections on Friday.

Gachagua, along by key figures such as PS Interior Dr. Raymond Omollo and Central Region Commissioner Fredrick Shisia, oversaw deliberations based on three major subjects.

To begin, the leaders committed to conduct a peaceful election process for the role of Spiritual Leader, a change from the violent past. Commitments were made to respect and accept the conclusion of the election, establishing a sense of unity within the church.

Second, the center of the debates focused at dismantling the AIPCA’s long-standing divisions. In a historic gesture, the leaders pledged to put an end to the divisive groups by the completion of the election process, ushering in a new age of unity and collaboration.

Deputy President Gachagua, who is well-known for his mediation efforts, has been actively involved in church defense. He had previously offered to arbitrate between the warring AIPCA groups alongside his wife, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, even providing state posts as a spur for peace-building.

During the meeting, Gachagua’s position on religious freedom was again emphasized. He voiced worry about the negative impact of isolating entire churches due to individual activities, highlighting the need of separating wrongdoers from the greater church community while maintaining the AIPCA’s integrity in the face of external pressures.

The deputy president’s mediation efforts may herald in a new age of peace and collaboration for the AIPCA, putting an end to the lengthy divisions that have plagued the church for over two decades.