Villagers storm church alleging pastor is holding girls for sex

KNA

NYERI, KENYA: Police in Nyeri arrested a local church “bishop” and his junior pastors for interrogation after angry residents stormed his church on allegations of illegally detaining a group of girls .

The bishop of the church located at Ruring’u estate in Nyeri town was accused of keeping more than 20 women  aged between 15 and 25 years in his church for sexual favours.

The furious residents claimed that the bishop has been keeping the girls without the permission of their parents or their guardians.

They argued that the young women had run away from their homes to stay in the church without a clear reason blaming the bishop and his juniors for seeking sexual favours from the women

One of the residents, Margret Dorcas, claimed that her niece had run away from school to stay in the church alleging that the bishop was earlier chased away from Kitale town where he had a church because of similar allegations.

In his defense, the bishop denied the accusations saying that the women  were in the church voluntarily for a prayer mission.

He said the young women  who were from different parts of the country were camping in the church willingly, purposely for prayers. He accused the residents of tarnishing the image of his church.

Maina wondered why the local residents were fighting the church while other churches hold prayer missions regularly.

The bishop  and some of the church pastors were taken for interrogation by the police to establish the truth of the matter.