Residents of Musemwa village, Sango sub location in Likuyani sub-county were left in shock following the demolition of a local church under disturbing circumstances. Eyewitnesses claimed a woman, identified as Jessica Lusanji with assistance from an armed group of youths whom she is believed to have hired, brought down the African Brotherhood church at night.
“The woman said she decided to demolish the church in order to appease her grandparents’ spirits, which she alleged have been haunting her,” said the source, adding the woman had further claimed that the ancestral spirits had been residing in the church.
The church’s pastor, Mr. John Sunguti told journalists upon receiving news about the incident he rushed to the scene where he found the youths roasting and feasting on a ram’s meat.
“The youths revealed to me it was Mrs. Lusanji who hired and instructed them to demolish the building at about 3am and thereafter perform some kind of rituals to appease her departed grandparents’ spirits,” said Sunguti.
It is claimed the woman had secretly sold the piece of land where the church had been constructed without the knowledge of faithful. She also sold iron sheets used to build the church after the demolition.
The pastor said the church bought the land at Ksh. 45,000 and put up a semi-permanent structure in the early 90s, and plans to put up a permanent church were underway. Mr. Sunguti added that the woman, a very powerful and respected member of the church, about eight years ago sold a portion of their land after differing with her husband several years back before she relocated to a village near Kakamega town, “Where it was claimed she
settled after buying another piece of land,” added Sunguti.
“However she has always claimed she has been haunted by ancestral spirits, saying the spirits wanted to be transferred to her current homestead,” said the cleric.
His sentiments were echoed by the church’s women leader Mrs. Rose Mikoli who wondered how the said spirits were living in their church. “As Christian believers, we are guided by Holy Spirit and I wonder how ancestral spirits can reside in our church. This is total madness and
unbelievable,” she said.
According to the landowner, Mr. Fredrick Kisikwa Wasike, he sold the said piece of land to the church and Mrs. Lusanji had no right to demolish the church and re-sell the land.
The suspect was arrested and locked up at Kogo police post before an undisclosed administrator rung and ordered her immediate release. Her whereabouts couldn’t be traced after she left. The incident has been strongly condemned by several church leaders and area residents led by Mr. Nathan Mutabes who accused the area administration of playing a role in regular land disputes in the area.
“We wonder how our local administrator can sign a land agreement knowing very well the process used in the transaction is illegal, our assistant chief knows very well who the owner of this land is, how did he allow the transaction to go on?” posed one of the
church leader citing corruption among the local administration.