‘Prayerful’ trio charged in court for failing to clear Sh370,000 hotel bill
Three intercessors who were expecting divine intervention to settle a hotel bill after staying in an Eldoret hotel for 41 days praying for the nation day and night have been put behind bars for failing to clear a bill of more than Sh370,000 at a three-star hotel.
The three intercessors including ‘a pastor’ who claimed to have received a divine vision directing them to come to Eldoret and pray against terrorists as well as praying for peace during this time when the country is facing hard economic times, were on Thursday arraigned before the Eldoret Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo.
The trio, who according to the charge sheet are aged between 32 and 39 years, were charged with obtaining credit by false pretense. Alex Muimi Munyoki, 39, Gilbert Muzami Mukisa, 32, and Lilian Namangasa Walukana were charged with obtaining credit contrary to section 316 of penal code.
The court heard that on February 15, 2023 at Eldoret town they incurred the debt at Goshen Inn Hotel by obtaining a credit amount of Sh371,500 by falsely pretending that a sponsor from the US will clear the debt.
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The trio denied the charges and told the court that they were still hopeful that God would send his angels to bail them out since they were doing God’s work of praying for the nation of Kenya and other countries across the world.
Mr Munyoki, who is the lead intercessor, told detectives that God directed him to come to Goshen hotel on February 15, 2023 and book a room for three of them to start praying and fasting for the country until March 28.
In his statement available in the court file, Mr Munyoki claimed that God told him about the coming of Jesus in a dream quoting Revelation 22:7 whereby he contacted his two friends who accompanied him in the hotel.
Mr Munyoki, who hails from Kitui county, said he was brought up at Redeemed Gospel Church and he has a burden to pray for the Nation. During their stay in the hotel they were hosted in a double room with two beds where they were being rotated between various rooms.
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Mr Munyoki told detectives that he used to share one bed with his male co-intercessor while the female intercessor was sleeping on the single bed as they continued in prayer for the nation day and night
Mr Munyoki said a sponsor from the US only identified as Rooney, who he claimed to have met with in Machakos, had promised to pay the hotel bill but unfortunately his effort to reach Mr Rooney via mobile phone was futile.
Despite failure by Mr Rooney to pay for the hotel bill, Mr Munyoki expressed hope that God will send another angel to take care of the hotel bill.
After denying the charges Mr Munyoki implored the court to release his two prayer partners claiming that he was the person to pay the price since he invited the duo to join him after meeting them at Kaburengu prayer Centre in Kakamega County.
“I plead with this court to release these two since I am the vision bearer, they just came to support me after I invited them to the hotel,” he told the court.
The magistrate directed him to present his claims during pre-trial of the case. They were each released on Sh80,000 bond with an alternative cash bail of Sh60,000 each. The matter will be mentioned on April 3.
tominde@ke.nationmedia.com
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