Church attack toll hits four as bishop dies

What you need to know:

  • In the Sunday attack, goons ambushed worshippers and supporters of archbishop-elect Evans Jadiva at the church headquarters at Jebrok, killing two people.
  • The new constitution is the work of Rev Evans Jadiva’s camp and was adjudged as the bona fide legal structure of the church by High Court Judge Hillary Chemitei on July 30.
  • The Nation has obtained documents of the orders as well as those that barred the worshippers from using the disputed facility until the matter is resolved.

A bishop is the latest victim of Sunday’s attack on worshippers at the African Israel Nineveh Church in Vihiga, pushing the death toll to four.

Mr Isaac Onyango, a radiographer at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu and a bishop of one of the church branches in Busia, was found dead on Monday in the compound of Archbishop John Mweresa following the attack.

Investigations by the Nation show that the conflict at the church centres on a dispute over 3.2 hectares of land owned by the archbishop’s family.

In the Sunday attack, goons ambushed worshippers and supporters of archbishop-elect Evans Jadiva at the church headquarters at Jebrok, killing two people. The worshippers retaliated, killing one of the attackers.

The church’s leadership dispute has reportedly been fuelled by a push by some of the archbishop’s relatives to unseat him to prevent him from gaining control of their grandfather’s estate.

The attack happened at the bishop’s home, next to the church.

Yesterday, police guarded the disputed property as an eerie silence greeted any visitor to the home.

Members of the church allied to Rev Mweresa secured the buildings in the compound.

Witnesses said goons stormed the church on Sunday, attacked worshippers and burnt down the bishop’s house.

In an interview with the Nation yesterday, Rev Mweresa accused a close relative of colluding with the “rebels” to unseat him.

He has reported that his life is in danger at the Kisumu Central Police Station.

He named other close relatives, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as the “key leaders of the faction that attacked my home”.

Rev Mweresa maintained that he was the bona fide leader of the church under its constitutions.

The new constitution is the work of Rev Evans Jadiva’s camp and was adjudged as the bona fide legal structure of the church by High Court Judge Hillary Chemitei on July 30.

Yesterday, Rev Mweresa blamed the Registrar of Societies for the violence witnessed at the church on Sunday.

“Mr Jadiva was elected at (the) Mbale grounds and not where I reside. He has no say in what goes on at Nineveh headquarters,” he said.

He went on: “The county commissioner issued a letter barring the meeting on August 8 and 9 when the attack happened. I also advised the members to congregate at their various churches peacefully.”

The Nation has obtained documents of the orders as well as those that barred the worshippers from using the disputed facility until the matter is resolved.

“I have never expected that wrangles would go to the extent of destroying property. The Jadiva camp has not been honest with their demands. They colluded to change the constitution, whose preamble still recognises me as the high priest and therefore (the) bona fide leader of the church,” Rev Mweresa said.

Meanwhile, a nurse at Mbale District Hospital said people who had been taken there with injuries were treated and discharged.