Money laundering is the process of making illegally obtained funds—“dirty money”—appear legitimate by routing them through complex legal or semi-legal systems. In Kenya, one of the lesser-discussed but increasingly troubling routes is via churches and faith-based organizations.
This article is a comprehensive guide on how politicians (and associated actors) exploit churches to clean dirty money in Kenya: the strategies, mechanisms, historical and recent examples, legal context, risks, and possible reforms.
Why Churches? The Appeal of Religious Institutions for Laundering
Churches and faith-based organizations present attractive vehicles for laundering illicit funds for several reasons:
- High trust and limited scrutiny: Churches enjoy moral legitimacy, making it less likely that stakeholders or congregants will question large donations or financial flows.
- Cash-heavy operations: Tithes, offerings, collections, and other cash contributions make it easier to integrate illicit funds under the guise of legitimate giving.
- Low audit transparency: Many churches operate with weak financial controls, lax auditing, or unregulated accounting, giving room to mix illicit funds with genuine income.
- Nonprofit status: Some faith organizations have tax advantages or are exempt from certain reporting requirements, reducing regulatory oversight.
- Front organizations or commercial arms: Churches often create subsidiaries, investment vehicles, or land/development projects—these can act as façade entities to absorb illicit funds.
- Political–religious alliances: Politicians may curry favor with religious leaders; in turn, the church may facilitate routing of funds through political church channels.
Because of these factors, churches in Kenya can become conduits for what is effectively divine laundering—washing “dirty money” under the veneer of religious work.
Methods of Cleaning Dirty Money Through Churches
Here are common tactics used (or alleged) in Kenya:
| Method | How It Works | Risks / Red Flags |
|---|---|---|
| Large “donations” or tithes | A politician or associate donates large sums, which are recorded as church income. | Sharp spike in giving, no clear fund origin, mismatch with congregation size. |
| Shell companies via church arms | Church creates corporate entities (e.g. “church holdings,” real estate arms), through which funds flow. | Complex ownership, opaque subsidiaries, missing audits. |
| Land or real estate “projects” | Church creates corporate entities (e.g., “church holdings,” real estate arms), through which funds flow. | Titles contested, forged documents, non-existent projects. |
| Phantom projects & fake suppliers | Funds designated for “aid,” “community projects,” or “evangelism expansion” are paid to fictitious vendors. | No deliverables, missing procurement documentation, forged invoices. |
| Circulating cash through multiple small offerings | Breaking down large sums into smaller “offerings” across branches to avoid scrutiny. | Church solicits congregation investment in land or housing projects. |
| Cross-border donations and transfer networks | Routing dirty funds through international religious networks or cross-border giving. | Large foreign transfers, shell accounts abroad. |
These techniques allow illicit actors to layer, integrate, and obscure the true origin of funds—thereby “cleaning dirty money.”
Examples & Allegations in Kenya
While concrete convictions are rare, several high-profile cases and allegations illustrate how the scheme plays out in Kenya:
Bishop Mark Kariuki & Deliverance Church — Sh10 Billion Land Scam
One of the most striking examples involves Bishop Mark Kariuki’s Deliverance Church and an alleged land fraud scheme connected to the Imani Estate project in Ruiru. The scheme is portrayed as church-backed, targeting congregants to invest in plots.
The scandal includes:
- Transfer of contested land originally under the Kanyotu estate (once connected to intelligence circles) through intermediaries linked to Kamlesh Pattni, a controversial businessman implicated in the Goldenberg scandal.
- Use of Ukombozi Holdings, a company linked to the church leadership, to absorb the land development.
- Discovery of forged consent letters and fake documents in court.
- In a July 2025 judgment, the High Court declared the entire transaction null and void, citing breach of fiduciary duty.
That scheme shows how a religious institution can be used to funnel vast sums into land deals that ultimately benefit insiders, masking it as church investment or congregational participation.
Ezekiel Odero — Frozen Accounts
In 2023, more than 25 bank accounts and a mobile money (M-Pesa) account linked to Pastor Ezekiel Odero were frozen by authorities amid investigations into large, suspicious financial flows.
This demonstrates that high-profile preachers are under financial scrutiny for possible illicit fund movements.
Anglican Bishop David Kodia — “Wash-Wash” Syndicate Allegations
The Rt. Rev. David Kodia of the Anglican Church was accused in 2023 of being linked to a local money-laundering syndicate dubbed “Wash Wash.” The claim: churches are being used to conceal the origin of illicit cash by depositing funds under religious guise. The bishop denied involvement but the very allegation underscores how religious leaders can become focal points of suspicion.
Methodist Church Leadership Scandal
A recent audit of the Kenya Methodist Church found misuse of donor funds, forged receipts, phantom suppliers, and misappropriation of food aid destined for drought-affected communities.
While not directly tied to a politician, this case shows how church financial operations can be manipulated. This same infrastructure can be exploited by political actors seeking to clean dirty money.
Political Actors, Church Alliances & Money Laundering
Some politicians or political operatives have deeper ties with churches or religious movements, providing channels to funnel or justify large sums:
- Kamlesh Pattni himself is a notable case: once a central figure in the Goldenberg scandal, Pattni later became a pastor, converting to Christianity and adopting the name Paul Pattni. His dual identity as political/business figure and church leader underscores how the blending of religion and politics can provide cover.
- Politicians sometimes publicly hand over cash to churches during election cycles or development events, under the claim of religious or social support. There have been reports that Kenya’s sitting president (as of 2025) continued to hand money to churches despite publicly opposing cash-based politics—raising questions about the mixing of political funding and church channels.
- Activists and civil society leaders have noted that behind-the-scenes political-church linkages create opportunities for illicit financial flows to go undetected, since oversight over religious institutions is often weaker.
Thus, when a politician has strong ties to church leadership (or controls a church), it becomes easier to move or legitimize funds via that institution.
Risks, Challenges & Barriers to Enforcement
While the mechanism is conceptually clear, in practice, prosecuting clean dirty money via churches faces obstacles:
- Weak regulation and enforcement
Kenya’s regulatory oversight of faith organizations is uneven. Many churches are exempt or under-audited, making tracking difficult. - Religious protection and public sensitivity
Accusing a church or cleric of wrongdoing brings backlash, political resistance, or claims of religious persecution. - Evidentiary complexity
Showing the “dirty” origin of funds, tracing them through multiple layers, and linking them to a politician is legally challenging. - Corruption and collusion
Officials, investigators, or regulators may be compromised, reducing the likelihood of thorough probes. - Legal loopholes
Tax or nonprofit law exemptions, ambiguity in accounting requirements, and weak penalties weaken deterrence. - Statute of limitations and political cycles
Delays mean many cases expire before resolution; political shifts can stall ongoing investigations.
Because of these barriers, many alleged cases never reach conviction, and much laundering via religious organizations goes unchecked.
Conclusion
The practice of using churches to clean dirty money is morally repugnant because it corrupts religious trust and enables political greed. In Kenya, multiple examples—ranging from land fraud schemes by Deliverance Church to frozen accounts of high-profile pastors—demonstrate how easily illicit funds may be funneled through faith institutions with little scrutiny.
Stopping this requires more than exposure: it demands legal reform, institutional strengthening, public vigilance, and the courage to hold powerful figures accountable—even if they claim divine authority. Until then, faith as a façade will continue to offer a sanctuary for the unclean.
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