CODE OF

CONDUCT
FOR THE CHURCH
IN KENYA

Hesabika Trust

2
Hesabika Trust
Kijiji Guesthouse, Africa International University
P.O. Box 22770-0505,
Nairobi, Kenya
www.hesabika.com
[email protected]

Copyright © Hesabika Trust 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from Hesabika Trust.

Cover design and image composite: Advance Litho Limited, Nairobi

Layout and typesetting: Advance Litho Limited, Nairobi

ISBN978-9914-49-723-6 (print)
ISBN 978-9914-49-725-0 (digital)

Printed in Kenya

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 3

CONTENTS
Foreword 5

Acknowledgements 7

Part i - introduction 10
Preamble 10
A. Citation 11
B. Definitions 11
C. Application of the code 22
D. Effectiveness of the code 12
E. Arrangement of the code 13

Part ii - code of conduct for the church 13

F. Guiding principles and values 13
G. Rule of law 14
H. Church leadership and governance of churches 15
I. Stewardship of finances and assets 15
J. Application of the code to church institutions, para-church
organizations and umbrella bodies 17

Part iii – code of conduct for church leaders 18

K. Core values and ethical responsibility 18
L. Disciplinary & complaints handling procedure 21

Part iv – enforcement, oversight and implementation of the

code 22
M. Adoption of the code 22
N. Dispute prevention and resolution 23
O. Disciplinary action 24

Appendix 26

4 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA
FOREWORD
The religious sector in Kenya is already regulated under
various laws including the Societies Act (Cap 108), the
Marriage Act 2014, the Trustees (Perpetual Succession)
Act, and the Companies Act 2015. Chapter six of the
Constitution of Kenya, 2010 provides for Church leadership
and integrity that is required of all leaders including those in
Church leadership. Additionally, criminal behaviour for any
individual or society is covered by sanctions under the Penal
Code Cap 63. Regardless, the Government of Kenya has
from time to time indicated that it will put into place further
regulation, for example the Religious Societies Regulations
2015 by the Office of the Attorney General.
Pursuant to the above-mentioned regulations, the National
Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) made several proposals
with regard to regulation of religious institutions in Kenya,
including:
1. Creating a legal framework for religious societies
separate from the Societies Act and other societies
in which every religious institution has internal self-
regulatory mechanisms.
2. Establish within the law a registrar of religious societies
and define the functions through sectoral consensus.
3. Transfer other religious functions like marriages to
the said registrar of religious societies.
4. Consider establishment of a religious societies’
commission, a body fully formed by the religious
societies to support the sector, promote religious
freedom and manage inter-religious issues
5. Establish a viable and funded shared regulatory
function between the commission and umbrella
institutions.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 5

On its part, and in line with NCCK proposals, the Evangelical
Alliance of Kenya (EAK) drafted a Religious Freedom Bill in
2016 seeking the establishment of Kenya Religious Freedom
Commission, whose function would include the promotion of
religious freedom in the Republic of Kenya. The Commission
would include representatives from the Muslim Council,
Hindu Council, the Church Councils (comprising EAK, NCCK,
Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB)), and any
other duly registered Christian umbrella body).
In August 2018, the Attorney General published a Draft of
Association Bill 2018 which was intended to replace the
Societies Act (Cap 108). The objects of the Association Bill were
to include a framework for the registration, incorporation,
and regulation of associations; promote corporate
governance of associations registered under the Act; and
provide mechanism for the resolution of disputes relating
to the associations. The bill proposed the appointment of
a Registrar of Associations to implement policies and keep
and maintain a register of the associations.
These initiatives and proposals reveal a desire by various
stakeholders for a governance and regulatory framework
that better protects and enhances the freedom of religion
guaranteed by the constitution. In line with this, Church
leaders have been engaged in an all-inclusive effort to come
up with a Code of conduct that would help strengthen the
Church’s stewardship of these freedoms and safeguard
them from both internal and external threats. This Code
of Conduct is, therefore, a product of consultation with
Christian Church leaders from all Christian persuasions, and
conscious efforts have been made to ensure inclusion of as
many proposals as possible, and to provide a solution to this
critical need of the moment.

Joshua Wathanga, DBA, MIoD, MKIM

Chair, HESABIKA TRUST
15 June 2023

6 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Code of Conduct and Governance Guidelines for the
Church in Kenya is the first effort of its kind. Whereas the
various church umbrella bodies, denominations, and several
individual churches have their own governance documents,
we have not previously developed a document that unites us
in matters of ethics and governance. No doubt, the need for
a Code of Conduct for Churches in Kenya has become more
urgent over the years, particularly for at least two reasons.
First, the Church as the salt and light of society needs to model
good governance and accountability, even as we demand
the same from political and government leaders. Second, as
we ask the government to allow the Church to self-regulate,
we need to demonstrate that we can do this effectively and
objectively.
Driven by these twin concerns, about 250 church leaders
held an inaugural meeting on 12 February 2018, requested
Hesabika Trust to help develop a Code of Conduct and
Governance Guidelines. Hesabika Trust, in furtherance of its
fifth strategic priority of, “Serving the Church in its Prophetic
Role to the Nation”, put together a team of church leaders
(clergy, elders and deacons) who were also governance
professionals. The team of about 20 professionals (as listed
in the Annex) worked on various sections of the Governance
Guidelines on behalf of the many other churches that may
not have been represented at that inaugural meeting.
The Code of Conduct Steering Committee wishes to thank
Hesabika Trust for all the support in developing the Code of
Conduct and Governance Guidelines for the Church in Kenya.
In addition to the technical team named in the Annexes, we
wish to especially thank Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama for
offering not only his personal services, but also of his law firm,
Muma & Kanjama Advocates. SC Kanjama worked with other
Christian lawyers such as Bernice Gachegu, Peter Gachuhi,
Joy Mdivo, in supporting the Steering Committee to fine tune
this Code of Conduct.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 7

Finally, I would wish to thank my fellow Steering Committee
members, a team of 12 men and women who have given their
precious time over the last five years to pray, consult, and
work hard at developing this Code of Conduct. These include:
1. Bishop Kepha Nyamweya Omae – Redeemed Gospel
Church, Inc., Chairman of the Kenya Council of Church
Alliances and Ministries (KCCAM)
2. Canon Chris Kinyanjui – General Secretary, National
Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK)
3. Rev Dr Nelson Makanda – General Secretary, Evangelical
Alliance of Kenya (EAK)
4. Bishop Joseph Moilo – Secretary General, Kenya National
Congress of Pentecostal Churches
5. Apostle Isaack Mwangi – Secretary General, Alliance of
Registered Churches- Kenya (ARCK)
6. Dr George Ogalo – Chief Operating Officer, International
Fellowship of Evangelical Students, & Trustee, Hesabika
Trust
7. Rev. Lucas Owako – ACK St. Francis, Karen. Kenya
Christian Professionals Forum & Hesabika Trust
8. FCS Bernice Gachegu – Advocate, Former Registrar
General
9. SC Charles Kanjama – Chair, Kenya Christian
Professionals Forum, and Managing Partner, Muma &
Kanjama Advocates
10. Joy Mdivo – Executive Director, East Africa Center for Law
& Justice, and Legal Counsel EAK
11. Peter Gachuhi – Partner at Kaplan & Stratton in the
Dispute Resolution Department. Accredited Mediator,
Arbitrator, Deputy Provincial Chancellor, Anglican Church
of Kenya
12. Dr Joshua Wathanga – Consultant in Policy, Strategy &
Governance, and Chair, Hesabika Trust

8 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

Space does not allow me to thank so many other brothers and
sisters who assisted in one way or the other, and especially
the thousands of church leaders who participated in the
many validation fora for the Code of Conduct over the last
five years. May the Lord be glorified because of your sacrifice.

David Oginde (Rev), PhD.

Chairman, Steering Committee
Bishop Emeritus, Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM)
Chair, Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK)
Chair, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 9

PART I - INTRODUCTION
PREAMBLE
We, the Church of Kenya—
ACKNOWLEDGING the supremacy of the Almighty God
of all creation, and the authority of the Holy Bible as the
principal rule of faith and the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 as
the principal civil law in the Republic of Kenya.

RECOGNIZING the right to freedom of religion and belief

carries corresponding duties and responsibilities; and

COMMITTED to our beliefs and convictions, undertake to act

in the best interest of our members and the society which
we are privileged to be a part; and
CONSIDERING that our actions and conduct may at times
fall short of that expected of us; and

REALIZING that the Church community should act decisively

among ourselves to address such conduct and develop
clear standards to guide our actions and prevent all forms
of abuse and exploitation and advance the protection of
human dignity and spiritual freedom in mutual respect
among the people of Kenya.
RECOGNIZING the existence of other Codes of conduct
and governance principles that may already apply in
particular Churches and organizations,
APPRECIATING that there exist various denominations,
Christian organizations and Christian umbrella bodies in
Kenya;
ADOPT this Code of conduct to give collective expression
to our faith, rights, responsibilities and role within society.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY

10 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 A. CITATION
1. This Code of conduct may be cited as the
Hesabika Code of Conduct for the Church in
Kenya, 2023.

B. DEFINITIONS
2. In this Code, unless the context otherwise
requires—
“apex body” means an umbrella body comprising
other umbrella bodies or Churches and which is
recognised at the national level as representing the
interests of a substantial proportion of Christians in
Kenya;
“Church” the collective body of all Christians (in Kenya),
diverse in their local expressions and affiliations but
united by their common faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour;
that are separately and distinctly registered in Kenya
as prescribed by relevant laws;
“Church institution” means a specific association of
Christians within a particular Church or denomination
that is authorised by the specific denomination but
has its own Church leadership structure;
“Church leader” includes every ordained minister,
every person holding the office of preacher, reverend,
Pastor, Priest, Bishop, each member of the clergy
howsoever named, and those members of the laity
holding any other office or title ordinarily assigned to
them;
“Code” means the Hesabika Code of Conduct for the
Church of Kenya 2023;
“denomination” means a specific part of the Church
that shares distinct common teachings practices and
authority, while being part of the Church in Kenya;

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 11

 “para-Church organization” means an organization
of Christian faith that participates in social welfare and
evangelization outside of and beyond denominations,
or within a denomination whether authorized by the
specific denomination or not; and
“umbrella body” means a body corporate or
incorporate consisting of Churches or Church
institutions that associate together for purpose of
recognition, collaboration and fellowship.

C. APPLICATION OF THE CODE

3. This Code applies to—
a) Umbrella bodies including apex bodies;
b) Churches and Church institutions
c) Church leaders; and
d) Para-Church Organizations.

D. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CODE

4. The Code outlines principles, standards and
guidance for the Church, Church institutions,
Para-Church Organizations, Umbrella bodies.
The standards set out in this Code do not replace
but supplement existing obligations under each
Church’s Constitution or the applicable laws of
Kenya and serve as a framework and a guide for
decision making and action in specific contexts.
5. Whereas this Code aims to provide a comprehensive
set of principles and guidelines on the activities
of the Church, circumstances will arise in which a
Church does not find adequate guidance within this
Code to enable it adequately deal with a particular
situation or event.

12 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 In such a case, the Church is advised to seek
guidance from the respective umbrella body to
which it belongs or its constitution as the case may
be.
6. Church members shall adhere to the values and
principles that uphold the Christian faith and that
are enshrined in the Constitution of the Church or
Umbrella Body as the case may be.

E. ARRANGEMENT OF THE CODE

7. The Code comprises of an introductory section
which gives the background and sets the context;
a section that expresses the aspirations of the
Church, the guiding principles and values, the
application of the Code to the Church and Church
leaders and a section that provides guidance on
resolution of disputes and disciplinary action.
PART II - CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH
F. GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES
8. Integrity and ethical conduct are central to biblical
teaching and practice. The Lord Jesus Christ called
the Church to be the salt and light in the society,
and therefore should operate within a standard
higher than to any other authority. Consequently,
what follows is the basic minimum standard we
commit ourselves to as the Church in Kenya.
9. The Church shall promote and enhance the well-
being of the brethren and of society as a whole in
accordance with Christian beliefs and convictions,
and refrain from any conduct that undermines the
constructive role that Churches play in the society.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 13

 10. Since religion is meant to assist and enhance, and
not obstruct human life, the Church shall respect,
protect and preserve life and shall refrain from any
conduct that devalues, dehumanizes or destroys
life.
11. The Church shall endeavour to uphold the sanctity
of life. According to Article 26(1) of the Constitution,
“Every person has the right to life.” Further to that,
Article 26(2) adds that “The life of a person begins
at conception.”
12. The Church, individually and collectively, shall
respect and uphold the dignity of every person
and shall not abuse or exploit any person, or do
anything to violate or degrade that person.
13. The Church values children – born and unborn,
and shall act in their best interest when under
our care by protecting them from maltreatment,
neglect, abuse, or exploitation, and promoting their
physical, spiritual, moral, and social well-being and
development.
14. The Church shall respect the right of every person
to join any faith or religion of their choice without
bullying, harassment, intimidation, or victimization.

G. RULE OF LAW
15. Each Church will endeavour to uphold the rule
of law in all its activities, and we shall inform
and educate ourselves and our members and
participants in respect to our role as good citizens.
16. Each Church shall not condone actions or behaviour
that are unlawful and may cause harm or damage
to other people and property.
17. Each Church shall obey the law of the land.

14 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 18. The Church shall endeavour to engage the three
arms of government to pass just laws, implement
the laws honestly and to protect and uphold the
rule of law and, where necessary, to challenge
by legal action a law that is inconsistent with, or
contradicts, the express teachings of the Holy Bible.
19. In the exercise of our rights to regulate our own
affairs, each Church shall act ethically and within
the law.
20. Each Church shall adhere to the principle of
confidentiality in personal affairs entrusted to
Church leaders by its member (s) when carrying
out pastoral responsibilities.

H. CHURCH LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE OF

CHURCHES
21. Every Church shall put in place appropriate policies
in its Church leadership, management and control
mechanisms and processes to ensure its internal
and external operations are carried out and
resources used in a transparent and responsible
manner.
22. Each Church shall put in place Church leadership
and governance structures to ensure accountability.
23. Each Church or denomination shall have an internal
governance body that can hold the Church leaders
accountable.
24. In the employment of Church staff, each Church
shall ensure fairness and transparency and
adherence to biblical principles.
25. Each Church shall put in place an annual forum for
reporting the affairs of the Church to its members.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 15

 26. The Church shall be committed to the biblical
model of servant Church leadership in our style
and in serving our congregations.
27. All Church leaders shall disclose without delay, and
prior to the making of the relevant decision, any
conflict of interest which may arise in the course of
their service.
28. The Church shall safeguard altars and pulpits from
being used by politicians for political causes.
29. Contributions given in Church forums shall remain
private and shall not be used as a campaign tool or
a ticket to access the pulpit for political messaging.

I. STEWARDSHIP OF FINANCES AND ASSETS

30. The Church shall act with honesty, integrity, due
diligence, and transparency in respect to financial
stewardship.
31. Additionally, each Church shall maintain ethical
conduct when soliciting contributions or raising
funds from members, external donors, or other
sources.
32. Church leaders shall honour and use gifts and
contributions for the purpose for which they were
received.
33. All assets belonging to the institutions shall be
registered in the name of that institution and its
trustees, except where the asset is meant as a gift
to an individual Church leader.
34. It shall be the duty of each Church to keep accurate
financial statements in accordance with accepted
financial practices and shall subject its accounts to
an audit as required by each Church’s registration.

16 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 35. Each Church shall be committed to be accountable
and report to its members in the manner prescribed
in our respective constitutions.

J. APPLICATION OF THE CODE TO CHURCH

INSTITUTIONS, PARA-CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
AND UMBRELLA BODIES
36. The provisions of clauses F, G, H and I of this Code
shall apply to Church institutions and para-Church
organization in a similar manner.
37. Additionally, Church institutions and para-Church
organization shall be expected to enforce this Code
in their individual capacities and seek guidance
of the affiliated Church or umbrella body where
necessary.
38. Umbrella bodies shall, in addition to the powers
conferred to them under part VI of this Code, have
power to—
a) Admit new Churches into the umbrella
body in accordance with the procedures
prescribed in their respective constitutions
and by-laws;
b) Expel a Church for failing to uphold or
comply with the provisions of this conduct;
and
c) Provide training and guidance to Church
leaders on how to effectively apply the
values and principles provided by this
Code.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 17

PART III – CODE OF CONDUCT FOR CHURCH
LEADERS
K. CORE VALUES AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY
39. The provisions of clauses F, G, H and I of this Code
shall apply to Church leaders in a similar manner,
and to Church members to the extent possible.
40. Additionally, Church leaders shall—
a) at all times conduct themselves in a manner
that honours God;
b) act in the best interest of the Church; and
c) maintain confidentiality with regard to
information that comes to their knowledge
in their capacity as spiritual advisors.
41. Without prejudice to the above, the following
principles shall be adhered to by all Church leaders;
a) Independence – a Church leader shall
maintain independence of mind in the
performance of his or her duties and shall
base his or her assessment of a particular
situation according to his or her conscientious
understanding of the teachings of the Holy
Bible and the law, to the extent that the law
is consistent with the Holy Bible.
b) Impartiality – a Church leader shall be
impartial in order to make decisions that are
not influenced by bias, prejudice, or giving
one individual the upper hand over another
for illegitimate reasons.

18 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 c) Integrity – a Church leader shall at all times
exhibit obedience, and practice of moral
values in accordance with this Code and
precepts from God’s word. In particular, a
Church leader shall ensure that he or she;
i. works to uphold and strengthen the
constitution, policies and procedures
of the Church;
ii. uses Church resources with diligence
and for the purpose for which they
are intended;
iii. maintains confidentiality of
information that come to their
knowledge in the course of performing
their duties;
iv. acts at all times in due consideration of
the interest, character and reputation
of the Church;
v. conducts himself or herself in
a manner that preserves public
confidence in the integrity of the
Church; and
vi. strive not to compromise his or her
integrity.
d) Equality and non-discrimination – a Church
leader shall not display bias or prejudice
towards individuals or groups while carrying
out his or her duties on the grounds of:
ethnicity, age, race, social class, disability or
health status;

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 19

 e) Prohibition against sexual harassment
– for the purposes of this Code, “sexual
harassment” shall have the meanings
ascribed to that term in the Sexual Offences
Act and the Employment Act. A Church leader
shall keep himself or herself informed of and
observe the laws and policies relating to
sexual harassment. Further, a Church leader
shall not sexually harass a member or fellow
Church leader or any other person.
f) Misleading the Church and the general public
– A Church leader shall not knowingly give
false information or knowingly misrepresent
information. A Church leader shall represent
the truth and shall avoid propagating
unsupported assertions.
g) Every Church leader shall take great
care in the use and application of social
media applications and shall desist from
creating and or forwarding messages that
are scandalous, promote violence, or are
otherwise harmful to others and contrary to
biblical teaching.
42. The Church, Umbrella bodies and Apex bodies
shall ensure that capacity building is provided to
all Church leaders through the implementation of
various training programmes. These programmes
will ensure continuous development of their
knowledge, skills and competence in the Christian
faith and biblical teachings, in Church leadership
and governance, and in counselling and spiritual
care of the faithful.

20 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 L. DISCIPLINARY & COMPLAINTS HANDLING
PROCEDURE
43. This section applies to disputes involving Church
leaders. The provisions of part IV of this Code shall
apply to this section as far as necessary.
44. Every Church shall constitute an independent
internal committee that shall be responsible
for handling complaints and concerns involving
Church leaders with regard to breach of this Code.
45. Any member of the Church shall have an unqualified
right to lodge a complaint against a Church leader
relating to non-compliance with the provisions of
this Code.
46. The internal committee shall have the power to—
a) conduct investigation into any allegations of
breach of this Code or the Constitution of the
Church;
b) take the appropriate disciplinary action
pursuant to their Constitution and by-laws,
where applicable; and
c) take any other lawful and reasonable action
as may be necessary for the enforcement of
this Code.
47. A person aggrieved by the decision of the internal
committee may appeal to the Umbrella body and
may subsequently seek redress from the Courts.
48. The principles of natural justice shall be strictly
adhered to during the disciplinary process.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 21

PART IV – ENFORCEMENT, OVERSIGHT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE
M. ADOPTION OF THE CODE
49. The adoption of this Code confirms commitment of
the Church, para-Church organization, apex body
or umbrella body to align to the ethical standards
set out herein and adherence to Biblical teachings.
50. This Code may be adopted in full or in part by any
umbrella body, Church or para-Church organization
as a standard Code for purposes of its operations;
Provided that where this Code is adopted in part,
the adopting entity shall not waive the application
of the Preamble and Part I, II and III and may
expressly reserve the application of Section N or O
of the Code. In cases of reservation, the instrument
of adoption of the Code shall specify alternative
dispute resolution and disciplinary mechanisms
for application.
51. Where an apex body or umbrella body adopts this
Code, all Churches, Church institutions and para-
Church organizations under the apex body or
umbrella body shall be bound by this Code.
52. Adoption of this Code shall be indicated by two
authorized signatories appending their names,
offices and signatures to the Declaration Form in
the Appendix and lodging an executed copy with
their respective umbrella body, if they belong to
one, and with a copy to Hesabika Trust which will
manage the database for all signatories to this
Code of Conduct.

N. DISPUTE PREVENTION AND RESOLUTION

53. Every Church shall handle any disputes arising
from activities of the Church in accordance with
the teachings of the Holy Bible.

22 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 54. Each Umbrella Body shall establish a Dispute
Resolution Committee and may affiliate to a Dispute
Resolution Centre to handle conflicts among the
congregants, Churches, and their Church leaders,
and offer these services to the community, society,
and national Church leadership.
55. In order to avoid the destruction of relationships
and to preserve the unity of the Gospel, the Church
shall seek the unity of the body of Christ and be a
source of peace-making for the society.
56. All Churches shall encourage alternative dispute
resolution, which may include negotiation,
mediation, and arbitration and avoid litigation in
civil courts as far as is possible.
57. Every Church shall establish a dispute resolution
body and may affiliate to a Dispute Resolution
Centre to handle internal disputes and conflicts
among colleagues, family, congregants, and
members of the wider community.

O. DISCIPLINARY ACTION
58. Any disciplinary action against a Church leader shall
be conducted in a just, expedient and transparent
manner, giving regard to the Constitution of Kenya,
2010 and the rules of natural justice.
59. There shall be an internal disciplinary committee in
every Church, Church institution and para-Church
organization.
60. A disciplinary committee shall have the power to—
a) Conduct investigation into any allegations
of breach of this Code;

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 23

 b) Take the appropriate disciplinary action
pursuant to their Constitution and by-laws,
where applicable; and
c) Take any other action as may be necessary
for the enforcement of this Code.
61. A Church leader alleged to be in violation of this
Code shall cooperate with the relevant internal
Disciplinary Committee to facilitate expedient and
transparent investigations and determination of
the alleged violation.
62. Where the disciplinary committee fails to take
appropriate action within reasonable time, the
matter shall be taken up by the respective umbrella
body to which the Church belongs.
63. Where a Church leader is dissatisfied with the
decision of the disciplinary committee, the party
may appeal to the relevant umbrella body.
64. Each umbrella body shall be guided by its
constitution, by-laws and practice.
65. Where a Church leader is proved to have breached
the Code of conduct, appropriate disciplinary
measures may be instituted by the relevant
disciplinary committee and umbrella body as the
case may be.
66. These may include but not limited to—
a) Reprimand;
b) Restitution;
c) Suspension for a limited period;
d) Removal from the Church leadership; and
e) Expulsion from the fellowship of the Church
or Umbrella body.

24 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

 67. The umbrella body or apex body as the case
may be, shall have final authority to enforce this
Code, save for where the Church adopting this
Code expressly reserves the application of this
paragraph, in which case it shall be bound by the
decision of their disciplinary committee as per the
Church’s constitution.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 25

 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA
DECLARATION FORM*

We……………………………………..................................(name of church or umbrella

body, church institution, or organization), being a (tick box to signify the
type of organization you are)
 Church
 Church institution
 Church organization
 Umbrella body
 Apex body
Belonging to the following Umbrella body (indicate name of umbrella
body, if you belong to one, or insert N/A if you currently do not belong
to one):
………………………………………..............................................................……………………
a. Declare that we have read, understood the provisions of the Code of
Conduct.
b. Having adopted the Code, we will make it applicable to our member
churches/institutions.
c. We further understand that by lodging an executed copy of this
Declaration Form with our above-named umbrella body (if you belong
to one), with a copy to Hesabika Trust, we hereby signify our intention to
adopt the Code in full or in part, in the manner hereinafter provided and
commit to abide by the provisions thereof:

Save for Part IV to the following extent:

a. …
b. …
In place of the reservation in Part IV above, we hereby adopt the following
alternative provisions:
a. …
b. …
We understand that the potential or perceived breach of this Code will be
taken seriously and could lead to sanctions by your umbrella/apex body.

Name: Name:

Office: Office:

Signature: Signature:

*You can obtain the Declaration Form

from https://hesabika.com/code-of-conduct/declaration-form,
or by requesting it from [email protected]

26 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH IN KENYA 27
Africa International University, Kijiji Guest House
P.O Box 22770-00505, Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +254 718899103; +254 73859 7830