Police are investigating a church believed to be engaging in cult-like practices at Brooke Trading Centre in Ainamoi constituency, Kericho County.
Kericho East Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO) Rhoda Kanyi says the investigation was prompted by a recent incident involving three pupils from a school within The Browns Plc tea estate, who were allegedly possessed after receiving various items, including necklaces and key holders, from the church.
The parents of the children had taken them to the church for prayers.
“When the pupils returned to school, the head teacher reported that they started convulsing and speaking incoherently,” Kanyi said.
The unusual behaviour led the school to organize a prayer session to “liberate” the affected children from what was believed to be a form of possession.
Video footage of the prayer session, seen by The Standard, shows the affected pupils rolling on the ground while making gibberish utterances.
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“The teachers said that after questioning the pupils, it was revealed that they had been given the mysterious gifts during their visit to the church, which seemed to trigger their unusual behaviour,” said Kanyi.
Concerned by the situation, the teachers confiscated the items and reportedly burned them, after which the pupils returned to their normal state.
“We are actively investigating the church for potentially engaging in cult-like activities that appear to have placed these pupils under a spell. Should we find any evidence of suspicious religious practices, we will take appropriate legal action against the church leaders,” Kanyi said.
The DCIO added that this is not the first time some churches in Kericho have come under suspicion.
A previous incident at a school, also within the multinational tea estates, involved several pupils who refused to sit for their examinations after attending sermons at another church.
The sermons reportedly focused on end times.
The pupils also refused to touch any technological devices, claiming that they were conduits of evil.
“Fortunately, we managed to resolve the earlier case through counselling, which helped the pupils resume their studies and take their examinations,” Kanyi said.