- Thieves raided ACK church in Kirinyaga, stealing property worth over KSh 100,000 and leaving a disturbing clue
- Believers arrived for Sunday service and found their sanctuary ransacked, with even the Bible missing from the altar
- Police searched for one suspect after he tried to sell church equipment for a fraction of its value in the local market
- Investigators recovered many of the stolen items, but one key piece of evidence is still missing as the search continues
A wave of unusual church thefts has troubled residents of Kirinyaga county, with the latest incident occurring at ACK Ng’othi Church in Mwea West sub-county.
Source: UGC
In a disturbing situation, the thieves not only stole the property of the church but also took the Bible and drank the sacramental wine before fleeing the scene.
How did the robbers in Kirinyaga enter the church?
The raid, which took place on Saturday night, is part of a growing pattern of robberies targeting places of worship in the area.
Citizen Digital’s report revealed that residents, churches, have become easy targets for criminals who seem more confident due to the lack of security in rural areas.
Pastor Dennis Muriuki, who oversees ACK Ng’othi Church in Mutithi Ward, said the gang entered the church through the main door in the dark.
When worshipers arrived for Sunday worship, they were met with chaos and disbelief.
He explained that although the church furniture was left intact, almost all electronic and movable items were stolen, amounting to over KSh 100,000 as a loss.
The theft caused the believers to struggle to conduct the Sunday service without a sound system or microphone; believers struggled to hear the sermon.
“Since the incident happened on Saturday night before the Sunday service, our believers had a hard time hearing the sermon because there was no music equipment. One suspect was arrested yesterday while he was selling some stolen items at the Crossroads Business Center,” said Muriuki.
Did the Kirinyaga police find the stolen items?
Police officials started an investigation immediately after the incident was reported.
Based on intelligence information, they arrested one suspect who was found selling some stolen items at the Crossroads Business Center.
Source: UGC
It is alleged that the man sold church equipment worth KSh 30,000 to a local businessman for only KSh 1500.
The suspect and the woman were detained at the Mwea Police Station while detectives continued their search for other members of the gang.
Most of the stolen items have since been recovered, but the gas cylinders are still missing.
Kirinyaga Gang Threatens Churches
TUKO.co.ke previously reported that law enforcement agencies in Kirinyaga county were investigating an increase in church robberies, with unknown suspects targeting places of worship throughout the night.
According to local priests, thieves have broken into several churches, stealing items such as sound systems, musical instruments, altar wine and bread.
In one case, intruders stormed a facility in Mwea West sub-county, drank wine and sacramental bread, and escaped with a piano and electronic equipment.
The value of property stolen in recent incidents is estimated to be over KSh 300,000 per incident.
Communities expressed shock and distress, citing weak security and disrupted worship services.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
