Three church leaders in Kisumu are under police custody after allegedly beating, injuring and eventually killing a motor vehicle mechanic on Monday.
According to police reports, the three church ministers belonging to the Voice of Potters International church are said to have assaulted the 62-year-old mechanic Vincent Oduor after the victim demanded some pay for the rendered services from the leaders.
It is alleged that Vincent Oduor had for over six months been rendering mechanical services, (servicing church vehicles) for Voice of Potters International church in Kisumu.
It is said that the late Oduor had been frequenting the church to demand the money for services rendered but the church management had been hesitant in paying him.
On Monday, when he went over to the church grounds to demand his dues, he was instead accused of stealing some of the spare parts belonging to the church vehicle. According to eyewitnesses, the church’s clerics descended on him leaving him with grave injuries and later on passing away.
Polisi mjini Kisumu wanawazuilia viongozi wawili wa kanisa moja kufuatia mauaji ya fundi mmoja wa magari aliyekuwa akifanyia kazi kanisa hilo. Inaarifiwa kuwa marehemu Vincent Oduor alikuwa akilidai kanisa la Voice of Potters International kiasi
kisichojulikana cha pesa#KTNLeo pic.twitter.com/4JEIV0QKX1— ktn (@KTNKenya) July 16, 2019
For the better part of Tuesday, there was a lot of tension building up at Bandani area bordering the church as the angry residents milled around the area ready to set the church on fire.
It took the intervention of the police officers to calm down the already irritated residents. Two of the suspects are said to be already in police custody as they await to be arraigned in court any day from Wednesday.
The owner of the church who is known by the name Prophet Lukas is said to have come by and tried cooling down the irritated youths saying he was not aware of the unfoldings since he had been away for a church’s ministry in Uganda.
Despite being accused as being the one who had directed the beating of the mechanic, the prophet was categorical insisting that he was not aware of the incident and that he will not side with anyone who had taken the law upon their own hands.