Nairobi News

There was drama in Zongwani village in Voi sub-county on Sunday morning after police raided a church and arrested a senior pastor who had defiled a 16-year old girl.

The suspect, Senior Pastor Steve Wafula of Jerusalem is Here Church, was whisked away by police officers from Voi Police station disrupting the Sunday service and leaving his bewildered congregation in shock.

The pastor is said to have led a dozen girls to a choir practice session held at his house on Saturday evening. The session went long into the night and after it was over, the randy pastor had identified one girl, a form two student at a local school, who would allegedly spent Saturday night at his house.

Speaking to KNA on Sunday, Mr. Musa Mwanyumba, the minor’s father, said he had mobilised hundreds of villagers at night to help look for his missing daughter.

He had even called the suspect to inquire about the girl’s whereabouts but the pastor denied knowing where the girl was. The search was called off at midnight but resumed in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Eventually the father encountered the girl in one of the many cattle paths as she headed home after a night out. When questioned, she claimed that she had been at her aunt’s place. Unconvinced, the father retraced her footprints and they led directly to the pastor’s homestead.

MISSING GIRL FOUND

“I did not believe her story. I followed the prints of her shoes and they went to the pastor’s house. When I confronted her, she admitted she had slept in his bed,” said the angry father.

Already, word had spread in the village and beyond that the missing girl had been found. Irate villagers gathered at the pastor’s home threatening to lynch him.

To save himself, the desperate pastor had scribbled a quick note admitting to having slept the night with the girl and pleaded for forgiveness.

He then sneaked the note to the minor’s mother in the hope that the matter would be laid to rest without involving the police.

But the girl’s family members instead called the police who later arrested him.

Mr. Steven Kidudu, the girl’s uncle, said that there have been unconfirmed rumours that the pastor has been sleeping with young girls, claims they had dismissed as malicious and false.

CASES OF DEFILEMENT

“I wish we had listened to the stories. We would not have found ourselves in this predicament,” he said.

Ms. Eunice Mwake, a worshiper at Jerusalem is Here, expressed her shock that the man who had been ministering to her daughter had been arrested for defilement.

“This is outrageous. He has disgraced the church and everything that he preached to us,” said the shocked worshiper.

The incident comes at a time the region is grappling with an increase in cases of defilement targeting school children.

Last week, a 63-years old man at Bughuta was arrested for repeatedly defiling and impregnating his 14-year old granddaughter.

In another shocking revelation, a teacher at school in Kisimenyi area is being sought by police after he allegedly defiled two pupils.