Controversial Bishop Mark Kariuki, the General Overseer of Deliverance Churches Kenya, stands at the center of a shocking Sh10 billion land scandal that has left thousands of faithful congregants homeless and penniless.
The man of God, together with fellow pastor Bishop John Masinde, orchestrated an elaborate fraud through their commercial arm, Ukombozi Holdings Limited, selling disputed land to unsuspecting church members who trusted their spiritual leaders.
THE HOLY CON
In 2014, what began as a regular Sunday service at Deliverance Church Kasarani transformed into a business pitch that would devastate lives. Bishop Kariuki and his accomplices marketed Imani Estate in Ruiru, promising congregants affordable homeownership with plots priced between Sh2.5 million and Sh4.4 million.
The bishops preyed on their flock’s desperation for housing in overcrowded areas like Kasarani, Zimmerman, and Githurai 45. Thousands of believers, trusting their pastors, pumped billions into the project without knowing they were buying worthless paper.
Michael Kamau, who invested Sh9 million for two plots and built a Sh34 million maisonette, now faces demolition after courts cancelled all title deeds. “We were duped by men of God who were not honest enough to tell us the property wasn’t legally theirs,” he told investigators.
THE CRIMINAL NETWORK
Court documents reveal a sophisticated web of fraud involving notorious Goldenberg scandal mastermind Kamlesh Pattni. The contested 500-acre land originally belonged to Kangaita Coffee Estates Limited, owned by late spymaster James Kanyotu.
After Kanyotu’s death in 2008, the High Court issued restraining orders against any land dealings. Despite this, Pattni’s Trendsetters Investments Limited allegedly acquired the property and later sold it to Marriott Africa International Limited, which fraudulently transferred ownership to Bishop Kariuki’s Ukombozi Holdings.
Forensic experts Chief Inspector Bernard Cheruiyot and Vincent Chelongo exposed the scam, telling courts that key documents were sophisticated forgeries. Justice Ogutu Mboya ruled the entire transaction “illegal, null and void.”
BISHOPS GO SILENT
Both Bishop Kariuki and Bishop Masinde have refused to respond to media inquiries about their role in the scandal. Business registration records show they jointly control Ukombozi Holdings Limited alongside Peter Keefar Njogah, Jim Kenny Kimani, and George Gichana.
The scandal has taken a political dimension, with Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, who previously represented one of Kanyotu’s widows, denying involvement and threatening defamation suits against critics.
VICTIMS’ AGONY
Stephen Mbugua, who paid Sh2.5 million for his plot and spent Sh9 million building his home, discovered the court cases only after construction began. “What is troubling is that our leases stand cancelled, and the people who sold us the property are nowhere to answer our questions,” he lamented.
Mercy Wanjiku, whose husband paid Sh3 million for their plot, expressed shock that the government cancelled documents it had previously approved. “How can they claim our ownership documents are forgeries yet they came from their office?” she wondered.
Justice Mboya ordered the Chief Land Registrar to cancel all title deeds arising from the fraudulent subdivision, affecting thousands of innocent buyers. A gazette notice gave affected persons 90 days to surrender their worthless titles.
The case exposes how religious leaders exploit their congregants’ trust for personal enrichment, leaving behind financial ruin and broken dreams. As investigations continue, Bishop Kariuki’s empire of deceit stands exposed, marking another dark chapter in Kenya’s history of land grabbing scandals.
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