KIRINYAGA, Kenya — A bishop in Kirinyaga County has been left counting losses after a violent mob torched his home and looted property following the death of a 30-year-old man in Ciagini, Mwea.
Bishop Simon Wachira of Ambassadors for Christ Ministry Church lost his homestead, estimated to be worth millions of shillings, after residents stormed his compound and set it ablaze in the early hours of the incident.
According to police and local accounts, tension escalated after residents accused the bishop of hiring three men, two of them reportedly his cousins, to assault Martin Kara, who was later pronounced dead near a local private hospital.
The incident reportedly began after Kara’s family raised an alarm, drawing villagers who responded in anger and later moved to the bishop’s residence.
It is alleged that Bishop Wachira, who lived next to the deceased, had accused Kara of stealing a 90-kilogram bag of rice from his home, as well as a chicken belonging to his cousins, the previous day.
Enraged residents then descended on his compound, forcing him to flee moments before they arrived. The mob proceeded to set the house on fire and loot property from the premises.
Police officers from Ciagini Police Station were initially overwhelmed as the crowd swelled, prompting reinforcement from Mwea West Sub-County headquarters at Kiamaciri Police Station. Despite the intervention, the mob still managed to torch the property.
Residents said the bishop had built his home and church on land he acquired in Ciagini, where his ministry, Ambassadors for Christ Ministry Church, has previously hosted visiting political leaders.
“It’s sad that all his properties and even church clothes had been stolen,” said resident Beatrice Nyaguthii.
Police have since deployed officers to guard the church premises to prevent further destruction as tensions remained high in the area.
During the chaos, residents reportedly made away with household goods including a generator, furniture, sofa sets, title deeds, logbooks, and iron sheets.
Some residents defended their actions, accusing the bishop of misconduct, with unverified claims circulating within the crowd.
“This is our property. He was even stealing our wives. We don’t need him in Ciagini,” some of the residents were heard shouting as they carried away the items.
Mwea West Sub-County Police Commander Millicent Ngugi confirmed the incident, terming it regrettable and warning against mob justice.
“It is a very sad incident, but the DCI is investigating the matter. People should not take the law into their own hands,” she said.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of Martin Kara and the subsequent arson attack are ongoing as security agencies move to restore calm in Ciagini.
