Police arrest 'pastor' with fetish items in Kilifi

Police on Monday arrested a self-proclaimed pastor in Chonyi, Kilifi County, with pieces of bones, brown stone-like substances, and suspected fetish items.

The police suspect the ‘pastor’ used the inanimate objects believed to have magical powers to recruit followers, especially women and children.

Kilifi County Criminal Investigation Officer (CCIO) David Siele said police arrested pastor Julius Kimutai Kipngeny, 51, and his accomplice Baraka Tsuma, 32.

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Police also recovered two walkie-talkies, red and yellow robes, matchboxes, three small bottles of perfume, three bunches of keys, a Bible and a self-study Bible course book.

Others were half a bottle of olive oil, half a bottle of detergent, a bottle of water, and a spoon wrapped in paper bags. Siele said the probe will determine the nature of the pastor’s activities and the possible victims.

"They have not been charged as investigations are still ongoing. The investigation will unearth if the church is registered, its activities and verification of their vehicle's documents," he said.

Kipngeny told police he picked the bones from someone's home and was preparing to go burn them elsewhere, amongst other paraphernalia.

According to a police report filed at Chonyi Police Station, the pastor has been visiting the area for the last two months to talk to women and children.

The man was in the process of establishing a church after acquiring a piece of land in the area.

The report indicated that Kipngeny was arrested while attending to women at an abandoned building. He allegedly performs miracles to heal the sick or remove 'witchcraft' paraphernalia from people's houses.

''There was an individual who was masquerading as a pastor within Silala village in Chonyi, and police officers proceeded to an abandoned building where they found one person, namely Pastor Julius Kimutai Kipngeny, aged 51, while attending to some women,'' reads the police report in part.

The community said the pastor has been visiting the area for the past two months every Monday and Tuesday, and mostly women attend prayers in the abandoned area.

Ronald Nzai, a religious leader in Chasimba, asked anyone who wants to establish a church in the area is required to consult the local administration and Chonyi Council of Bishops.

"We established the Chonyi Council of Bishops to make sure that every pastor who wishes to start a worshipping place in this area goes through proper vetting to avoid the incident that  happened in Shakahola Forest," he said.

Nzai said self-proclaimed men of 'God' have been taking advantage of women and children because of their 'weak' nature.

Meanwhile, incidents where self-proclaimed pastors lure locals in Kilifi have been rampant, the most recent being Shakahola, where more than 450 people died after they relocated to Shakahola Forest on instruction of controversial pastor Paul Makenzi.

Another recent incident happened in Kilifi North, where a couple was arrested after causing the death of their two children by failing to take them to hospital after they fell sick.

The couple is said to have refused to take the two children, a girl aged 11 and a boy aged 13, for medical attention, claiming their religion does not allow them to go to hospital as they would be healed by faith.