0
0
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), in cooperation with the National Intelligence Service (NIS), on Monday 8 stormed into a church in Kwale County. This is following allegations by members of the public that the preacher was issuing cultic teachings to his congregation.
Rainbow Faith Ministries, a church within the Kinondo location in the Msambweni constituency, was the center of interest for the detectives who probed in after a red flag was issued by members of the community over mysterious religious activities. The operation was spearheaded by Kwale County Commissioner Mwangi Meru.
A report released by the detectives after the operation established that there were children residing in the church as well as people of varying ages. The congregation had voluntarily deserted their homes and livelihoods in order to give full devotion to their newfound gospel ministry.
Security teams established that there were children residing in the center as well as other persons of various age categories and that the major concern was the practice which had led the members to abandon their homes, their jobs and their livelihoods to come and stay together so as to conduct prayers and spread their newfound gospel.”
The report read in part.
County Children’s Coordinator, Zephaniah Apoko, claimed that the compound also hosted other persons of various age categories, whose only mandate was to undertake clandestine religious activities out of the public view.
The County Children’s Coordinator was of great concern over children who allegedly opted to skip classes, or rather avoid school so as to adhere to the daily church routine.
Children were observed to leave school or interrupt classes so as to conduct prayers six times a day (3 times in the day and 3 times in the night) with strict adherence to this routine.”
Apoko said.
Read: Kwale gets new county commissioner in the latest transfers
The religious leader whose gender was revealed to be female, according to Zephaniah Apoko, had introduced the church in Msambweni in 2022 and she had performed a ‘miracle’ that healed a member from chronic mental illness, from this, she managed to convince the whole village into her revelations from God.
She managed to convince the whole congregation through the so called revelations from God and guided that they should abandon their livelihoods and congregate.”
County Children’s Coordinator, Zephaniah Apoko stated.
According To The DCI Report, Victims Did Everything Together
The congregation conducted everything together, both adults and children.
Preliminary findings showed that both adults and children conducted all their services together, and they only pursued lessons in end-time prophesy.
The report detailed.
They stay together, cook together and sleep at the centre – all females of mixed ages sleep together in one mud house at one side of the centre, sharing beddings.
At the same time, all males of mixed ages slept together in another mud house on the other side of the center sharing beddings as well.
Read: Reasons Why Raila Was Denied Entry To Shakahola
The church holds children, who, according to the detectives, were held within the center unlawfully.
The center holds children (children sleep within the center) even though they are not a lawfully constituted Charitable Children Institution (CCI) with a framework on how children should be cared for in institutions.”
The DCI report read.
