ACK St. Polycarp Mlango Kubwa was founded in 1984 from the ACK St. John’s Church, Pumwani. A few members came together through the initiative of the then Vicar of St. John’s Church, Pumwani, to start a congregation at Mlango Kubwa. The priest in charge of St. John’s Pumwani Parish at the time the church was founded was the late Rev. Canon John Ndungu, who retired as the first Provost of Nairobi Diocese. The plot for the church was consecrated by the then Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya and the Bishop of Nairobi, Manases Kuria. With the help of the Rev. Canon John Ndungu, they identified a piece of land off Juja Road.
The Juja road Developers, who were in the process of constructing an estate for mortgage purposes, supported the congregation in constructing the first mabati (iron sheets) structure at a cost of Ksh. 21,000.00. The Rev. Canon John Ndungu assigned the Rev. Daniel Njoroge, who was his Curate at St. John’s Pumwani Parish, in charge of this new congregation.
The congregation grew to become a parish with the Rev. Cyrus Manje being posted to the congregation as the first Vicar of the new Parish. The congregation has grown under the stewardship of the faithful clergy together with the successive Parochial Church Councils who have served it over the years, from 14 members, and the church continues to grow. We will forever be grateful to the first team of 14 men and women who pioneered the ministry of Mlango Kubwa. These faithful soldiers were a whole battalion who did everything and left out nothing, including readings, washing the church and toilet using water carried on their backs, ushering, evangelism, fellowship, and development, among other tasks.
Due to steady growth, the Parish has given birth to St. Thomas Parish – Ngei (Huruma), ACK Holy Trinity Mlango Kubwa, together with its Local congregation, ACK City Park Church. Currently, St. Polycarp has another Local Congregation, The Bereans Church – Gitathuru.
Former clergy
The following Clergy have served (and some still serving) St. Polycarp faithfully between 1985 and 2025
Vicars:
1. Rev. Daniel Njoroge: 1985-1991
2. Rev. Cyrus Manje: 1991—1994
3. Rev. Abraham Fiodembo: 1995-1997
4. Rev. Dr. Humphrey Muraguri: 1998-2000
5. Bishop Joel Waweru: 2000
6. Rev. Canon Mwaura: 2001
7. Rev. Benson Kimaru: 2001
8. Rev. Fredrick Kibaki: 2002-2004
9. Rev. Peterson Kithaka – 2004-2013
10. Rev. David Kiiru Mutua: 2014–2015
11. Rev. Dishon Kihuria Gathome: 2016– 2020
12. Rev. Susan Kivuti: 2021–2022
13. Ven. Dr. Simon J. Oriedo, HSC: 2023 – 31 July 2025
Curates:
1. Rev. Charles Ndede: 2006-2007
2. Rev. Stephen Shisia: 2012-2013
3. Rev. Francis Mwangi: 2002-2003
4. Rev. Capt. Felix Kassums: 2003 – 2004
5. Rev. Millicent Opiyo: 2005-2006
6. Rev. Marshall Okal: 2016-2018
7. Rev. Paul Oduor: 2018-2022
8. Rev. Charles Oduor: 2022-2022
9. Rev. Nathan Waweru: 2023-2024
10. Rev. Francis Kimata: 2024-31st July 2025 (Current)
Former members who are serving God elsewhere
1. Canon Joshua Omungo
2. Ven. Evans Kamundia
3. Rev. Stephen Karunji
4. Bishop Moses Tangara
5. Pastor Peter Kimotho
6. Pastor Antony Maina
7. Pastor Kevin Mwangi
For many years, the church has been in the process of securing land for a church building, driven by a dream to settle and accommodate all its members. Many members, both current and those who have been involved before, have been instrumental in the church’s significant mission and development work.
Challenges
St. Polycarp’s journey has been a journey of sweet moments and painful times. The church has weathered storms, sunshine, torrential rainfalls, but it is still standing today because of God. The location of the church itself and the activities surrounding it (local infrastructure, which is in a poor state, and fast construction works) are themselves a confirmation that St. Polycarp’s presence here is a testimony to God’s doing. If it were not for God, where would this church be today? Indeed, this is EBENEZER.
Other challenges include members shifting to different areas, which has impacted the church’s resources (both human and financial), challenging its stability.
Painful incidents that left scars:
The history of St. Polycarp would be incomplete without mentioning the dark stages that conspicuously mark its past – the demolition of the church sanctuary on 20 January 2011, which led to the loss of church’s property and documents, a grenade attack on 30 September 2012, which claimed the life of one child and several other children were injured, and losing a court case which determined that we were not the owners of the piece of land where the church is built.
When the Night Fell on St. Polycarp (By One Who Watched God Hold It All Together)
There are moments when heaven seems silent. When prayers echo in the chambers of grief, and all that remains is the question: Why, Lord? It was in such a moment—when the stars hung cold over the city, and hearts trembled under the weight of what had been lost—that I received a phone call I will never forget. It was 1:00 a.m. in 2011. The voice on the other end was Mr. Livingstone Muiruri—faithful, unwavering, and now gone to glory. His voice was heavy with sorrow. “They’re demolishing the church,” he said. Some of us wept that night. We didn’t just lose a building—we watched a symbol of our worship, our gathering, our spiritual home crumble into dust.
But what followed… was nothing short of resurrection. The very next weekend, still nursing broken hearts and swollen eyes, the people of St. Polycarp Church picked up hammers and held on to hope. They lifted mabati sheets with blistered hands. They welded metal like saints rebuilding Jerusalem’s gates. There was no donor, no blueprint—just grit, grace, and the conviction that God’s house would rise again. We learned resilience not from books, but from the calloused hands of men and women who refused to let God’s name fade from that corner of the earth. They believed in a promise larger than pain.
But as the church rose again, the hand of terror reached out. One morning—quiet like any other—a terrorist planted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the mabati wall of the Sunday School. The blast was so loud that time itself seemed to freeze. Screams broke the silence. Smoke filled the air. It caused great havoc, injuring many. And worse, it claimed the life of young Ian Macharia. A child of promise. A beloved soul. There are no easy words for that kind of grief.
Yet in the shadow of that sorrow, something unexplainable happened. As the wounded were tended to and Ian was laid to rest with tears and trembling, the congregation came together. The very next Sunday, they worshipped. Amid fear, they lifted praise. In the ruins, they raised hallelujahs. Because even then—especially then—they knew: this church does not stand by human strength. It is God’s own project.
But the storm had not passed!
Two years later, another blow fell. A court case—one that had loomed for over a decade—was decided. And not in our favour. The land we had prayed over, built upon, poured our faith into… was now not ours! It felt like a punch in the gut. We found ourselves on borrowed space. Living like squatters in our own sanctuary. Yet once again, we humbled ourselves. And once again, we leaned on each other—and on the One who never forsakes. With prayer and patience, we offered to purchase what our hearts already called home.
It was not swift. It took ten more years. Ten years of paperwork and persistence. Of sacrifice and surrender. But one day—quietly, legally, and triumphantly—the land became ours. No longer borrowed, no longer contested. It is, at last, now the rightful home of ACK St. Polycarp Church.
There have been valleys and mountaintops. Night watches and joyful mornings. But through it all, the grace of God has held us, sustained us, and defined us. And now? The future is bright—brighter than we could ever imagine. For this church is no ordinary place. St. Polycarp is loved by God. Chosen by God. Preserved by God. Tried in fire, and still standing here only because God made a way.
And victory, dear friend, is written into its walls.
By Andrew Ambetsa
New Opportunities for Ministry:
St. Polycarp, before the dark stages, was known to be a powerhouse in missions and evangelism. The church conducted mission and evangelism activities in the environs of Nairobi and beyond. The church organised conferences and revival meetings that led many to salvation and renewal. Those who got saved through the ministry of St. Polycarp are now serving God in ministry and holding senior positions within the Anglican Church and other denominations, while others have planted their own ministries.
With today’s service (occasion), St. Polycarp is re-emerging to regain its place in the mission and evangelism space. The influx of the Muslim community in the neighbourhood is not a threat but an opportunity for ministry. Probably, God allowed us to go through the process of purification in preparation for a redefined and special ministry. St. Polycarp might become a centre for interreligious dialogue, with a bias or focus towards mission outreach to Muslims and the New Religious Movements. Whatever the case, St. Polycarp is getting stronger and better day by day.
