Gospel artist Lorine Otieno. [Courtesy]
The High Court has revoked the ban on renowned gospel artist Lorine Otieno from performing in Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) churches.
Otieno’s petition resulted from the decision of the SDA leadership to ban her from performing in any of the churches falling under the jurisdiction of the Southern Kenya Lake Field. The Southern Kenya Lake Field comprises SDA Church in the South Nyanza region predominantly occupied by the Luo and Abagusii communities.
She moved to Homa Bay High Court arguing that the ban violated her rights.
In the petition, Otieno sued the administrative committee of the Southern Kenya Lake Field of the SDA Church as the first respondent.
The other respondents are the Executive Secretary of the Southern Lake Field Daniel Odek, the Southern Kenya Lake Field of the SDA Church, West Kenya Union Conference of the SDA Church and the SDA Church (East Africa) Limited as the second, third, fourth and fifth respondents respectively.
Otieno, who sings in Dholuo, accused the SDA leadership of banning her from performing in its churches without giving her an opportunity to be heard.
She argued that the church’s refusal to inform her the reasons for the ban violated her right to information.