The beleaguered Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) elder David Nderitu Ndumo had to eat humble pie offering to pay the Sh 8.3 million Shillings he borrowed from Sheria SACCO five years ago.
The elder who was installed as the Honorary Treasurer of PCEA against a court order suspending the installation in April was ordered to immediately bear court charges and pay Sh2.5 million by Friday 28 February 2025 as part of the commitment to pay the debt.
The Cooperative Tribunal sitting in Nairobi had issued a notice of Show Cause why Mr Ndumo should not be committed to civil jail after he failed to pay the original loan of Sh 5.6 million guaranteed by 15 guarantors.
The court further directed that Mr Ndumo will pay monthly in the tune of Sh 164 000 per month to take care of the balance.
Subsequently, the court has directed that there be a mention for compliance on 10th March 2025 to confirm if terms set have been complied with.
There was a mixed reaction as well as relief for some guarantors who have been deducted for years due to their guaranteeing Mr Ndumo’s loan.
“We are happy that he has been finally ordered and committed to pay. But we are not excited by the fact that he isn’t paying it at once,” said one of the guarantors.
It was clear that the guarantors were desperate for payments in full so that they would get their refunds immediately.
This case had caused a church member to rush to the High Court to stop the planned installation of Mr Ndumo as the PCEA Honorary Treasurer.
He argued that precedence had been set in the church elections when the installation of an official was stopped after he was found of soiled hands not worthy of a Church leader of the flock.
The legal counsel representing the guarantors, Mr Wambugu Wanjohi has said they are keen to see how Mr Ndumo keeps his word and expressed satisfaction that the court has directed that should Mr Ndumo backtrack on his commitment fail, then he goes to jail.
