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Heartbroken pastor dumps serial ‘dowry swindler’, calls off wedding


A pastor of an evangelical church in Tana Delta has called off a wedding that was scheduled for next Saturday after it emerged the woman he was planning to wed was a serial swindler.

This is after three men wrote to the church claiming to be engaged to the lady at different times in different places in 2021.

According to Moses Alisi, the chairperson of the wedding committee, one of the men, also a junior pastor serving a suspension in another Church in Taita Taveta, noted that the lady was two months pregnant for him by the time they parted ways in January.

“The man says they were just a month away from their wedding when the church found out about their secret dealings and they were both suspended from altar duties until further notice,” he said.

The complainant also said the woman told him he was leaving town for her aunt’s place in Makindu as she could not bear the shame, only for him to learn that she was being married.

The complainant further revealed that the groom had earlier attended a service in their Taita Taveta Church for ministry as a guest preacher.

“It is true, our pastor was invited to preach in the identified Church in Taita Taveta, he was there for about two weeks for a revival service,’ said Mr Alisi.

In another letter, a man Identified as Alex Mshenga, claims he had solemnized their marriage wht the woman in a traditional ceremony in February 2020. Mr Mshenga added the lady left home in February 2021 after landing a

Mr Mshenga noted that the lady has been avoiding accommodating him in Mombasa claiming that she lives with a friend, and prefers to travel to her husband.

The third man, Sospeter Maundu, claimed to have met the lady’s parents in June 2021 to seek her hand in marriage. The man, a teacher, claims he is responsible for educating the lady through college after an agreement with the parents that it would cater to dowry.

“He says he has spent more than Sh300,000 on the lady and they have been meeting once a month, he sends the lady transport as they wait for the official traditional ceremony,” said the wedding committee Chairperson.

However, when asked to explain the letters, the woman told the church committee the men were lying and roped in her parents to confess if they had received anyone seeking her hand in marriage.

Mr Alisi says that the committee picked the matter as malice and challenged the respective complainants to share evidence of the ceremonies they claim.

“The photos we have received are of different people with the respective men, but not the parents of the lady. However, the lady features in all photos, and the parents can only identify one family that probably posed as her parents to swindle the man’s dowry.

Mr Alisi says that the lady may have used people to pose as her parents to swindle her victims’ money and valuables in the name of dowry before fleeing.

The Church has summoned the men and their witnesses for further interrogation and clarity as the lady is tasked with producing the families she connived with, in the swindling syndicate lest they hand over her case to the police.

“We are a church, there is a way the Bible guides us in solving such disputes. If that fails, we shall advise the victims to take action as they deem fit, meanwhile we treat the matter as malicious until we have received all evidence,” said Mr Alisi.

Meanwhile, the Church has called off the wedding, with sources revealing that the widowed pastor has ended things with the lady who assists as a teacher in a local private school.

The Pastor could not be reached on the phone as his line has remained off since the incident with sources revealing he took a break to pray over the matter.

The woman on the other hand maintained that the claims are malicious and meant to taint her image, noting that God will vindicate her.

“Those are the works of the devil, they will be settled by the Church with time, after which I will take legal action against my accusers,’ she said.

Soduor@ke.nationmedia com

Note: Names of the accused, church, and committee have been changed for confidential reasons requested by the church committee Chairperson.