A bitter dispute over church finances has erupted into a legal battle, dragging two major Christian denominations into an unprecedented public row.

At the centre of the storm is Benjamin Njoroge Mburu, an active member of Don Bosco Catholic Church in Upperhill and a singer with the St. Valentine Choir, who has moved to court against the leadership of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) over the installation of its Honorary Treasurer.

The case has shocked many faithful, not just because it revolves around money, but because it has effectively placed the Catholic and Presbyterian churches on opposing sides of a legal fight, with accusations now flying across denominational lines.

Mburu told the court that he is a member of PCEA’s Kikuyu Township congregation. However, fresh filings challenge that claim, alleging that he does not fellowship with PCEA at all and that he misrepresented his church affiliation to gain standing in the case.

The fallout has been swift and heated. Critics say the legal move has ignited unnecessary tension between Catholics and Presbyterians, turning what should have been an internal financial and governance matter into an inter-church confrontation. Some church members from both sides accuse Mburu of dragging the Catholic Church into a Presbyterian money dispute, thereby fueling division within the wider Christian community.

More vocal critics have dismissed him as a “busybody,” questioning why a Catholic congregant would spearhead a court battle over financial leadership in another church.

The matter is scheduled for sentencing on Monday, December 15, 2025, before Justice Stella Mutuku, in a case many fear could set a troubling precedent for how financial disputes spill over into inter-denominational conflict.