Angry villagers in Meru County have attacked and burned down a church, alleging that the pastor had been abusing female congregants for years.
According to K24 television, the villagers accused the pastor of engaging in inappropriate and abusive practices during worship services.
They claimed that the pastor had a history of abusing female believers by performing acts they described as “sucking the milk” of women and children.
These accusations reportedly span a decade.
A former church member told K24 that the pastor, whom she had left last year, was involved in occult practices rather than genuine religious preaching.
She described bizarre rituals, including forcing followers into strange activities under the guise of prayer.
After the church was set ablaze on Tuesday, further allegations emerged.
Villagers claimed that the pastor had been involved in other disturbing acts, such as shaving followers’ pubic hair while chanting obscenities, slaughtering animals, and smearing their blood on people’s bodies.
They also alleged that the pastor would keep the hair he collected for use in his supposed prayers, and had even employed assistants to help him with his abuses.
The pastor, who has been active in ministry for the past 20 years, denied the allegations when he spoke to the media after providing a statement to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
He dismissed the claims as false and requested a police investigation.
“The accusations are baseless,” he said.
“The church has been destroyed and property worth sh5 million has been damaged.
The law should address these issues.”
The situation remains under investigation as authorities look into the claims and the subsequent destruction of the church.