Pastor recounts the day devil visited church

By Boniface Ongeri and Adow Jubat

“Normally when the sheep are attacked, the shepherd comes to their rescue and repulses the attackers, but when both are attacked, the scenario is challenging,” says a crestfallen Pastor Mutungu Kaleli, the presiding preacher last Sunday service at the African Inland Church (AIC) in Garissa.

The pastor had raised up his hands along with the congregation, praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit to enrich them.

devil’s visit

At that moment, armed goons stormed the church, hurled grenades at the worshippers, and shot them indiscriminately. When they were done, 17 people were dead and more than 60 sustained injuries. Simultaneously, they attacked the local Catholic Church, too, injuring three.

Pastor Kaleli says instead of the spirit coming upon the believers, the “devil visited the worshipping place”.

“We were supposed to be visited by the Holy Spirit but the evil spirit decided to spread fear. But we shall overcome,” says Kaleli sorrowfully.

Tucked in a quiet neighbourhood in Bulla in Garissa town, the church offers a peaceful place for praise and worship. That tranquility, however, was disrupted when bangs echoed that Sunday morning.

“At first we thought some children in the neighbourhood who often hurl stones on the roof of the church when the sermon is going on were at it again,” says the pastor.

deafening sound

But it became clear when the deafening sound became sustained. Then there were screams from outside and the faithful, who had become uneasy, rushed to the windows to see what was happening when three armed and masked men in blue clothes stood at the entrance and started shooting.

“We were only armed with faith, prayers and the Bible against the devil’s bullets. I knew that God would protect us. People were shouting for God’s help and though there were those killed I believe that God protected the rest of us. It could have been worse. We saw the hand of God,” he said.

The church has been in existence for more than 30 years, but the pastor has never seen anything like what happened last Sunday.

“Blood in the pulpit, strewn bibles and lifeless bodies is not something that one sees in the house of God,” says he.

The two churches are two kilometres apart, but it was at the AIC that most carnage was experienced.

AIC is near the East African Pentecostal Church that was attacked by suspected Al Shabaab militants last December, killing two people, including an eight-year-old girl.

Pastor Kaleli says the incident has shaken the faithful and he is not sure what the future holds.

“We will pray for God’s strength to move forward. At the same time the faithful feel their security is not guaranteed in church. We will work with the security officials towards ensuring a similar thing won’t happen again.”

creepy birthday gift

Faithful Peninah Musyoki says the attack was a creepy especially for her – it was her birthday and she lost her sister in the attack.

Musyoki went to church early but left her two children at home.

“I had not attended church for two weeks prior to last Sunday and I was determined to reconcile with my creator this Sunday by attending the service early enough to ask for forgiveness,” she said from her hospital bed at the Garissa Provincial General Hospital.

She is not sure about her security any more. That is the fear of those who survived the grisly attack.