Pastor Job Mageto Ong’era left his rural home in Masaba North District in a jovial mood for a Full Gospel Church of Kenya crusade in Nakuru Town.

His father, Mr Bernard Ong’era Omariba, recalls escorting his 23-year-old son to catch a matatu at Mosobeti trading centre.

Since the young man’s mother died last year, the young pastor had taken up a big role in the home, helping with the tea farm and taking care of his younger siblings.Father and son then said their good byes at the trading centre as the young man boarded a matatu.

Tea farm

“He promised to call me on arrival in Nakuru. He also assured me that he would come back home immediately after the crusade to assist me in the tea farm which he has been doing since his mother died last year,” Mr Ong’era said. Well, he received a telephone call the following day but it was not from his son. The caller gave him the devastating news that his son was dead.

Unknown to the father and son, their farewell to each other at the bus stop was to be their last, for the young man never arrived in Nakuru. He was shot dead by police at a road block at Ikonge on the Nyamira-Kericho road. Nyamira head of police Lawrence Mwaura admits that the pastor was “accidentally” shot by police when the matatu he was travelling in defied orders to stop. The officers had suspected that the matatu was ferrying bhang. The circumstances of the killing fitted perfectly into the profile provided by UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston on indiscriminate police use of weapons.

Prof Alston’s final report following an investigation earlier this year was released on Thursday. Other than covering issues of deliberate police execution of criminal suspects, the report also looks at the frequency with which police resort to lethal force for no good reason. Mr Omariba got the information from a Mr Joseph Mokaya. According to the Nyamira police chief, the vehicle in which Pastor Ong’era was travelling was suspected to be carrying bhang, and had failed to stop at four road blocks until the police opened fire.

Pastor Ong’era, the second-born in a family of seven, had declined a suggestion that he goes to Nakuru through Keroka, preferring the matatus that ply the route from Kisii through Nyamira, his father recalled. The pastor was ordained recently by the Esuguta Full Gospel Church of Kenya and was waiting to be posted. He had, however, been appointed the youth regional secretary in the larger Kisii and Rongo districts.

Pastor Ong’era had last week organised a successful crusade at Marindi in West Mugirango constituency, Nyamira District. He had plans for similar crusades at Keroka Town next week. A colleague, Pastor Geoffrey Mageto, said the young pastor had plans to wed in August. He was active in counselling the youth on the importance of church weddings and moral family life.

A sombre mood engulfed the home of the pastor when the Nation visited yesterday. Relatives and friends streamed in to console the bereaved family. Many of those who talked to the Nation demanded thorough investigations into the killing of the young pastor. One of the brothers, Mr Douglas Momanyi, said in an interview from Mombasa: “We want justice done and those involved in the killing of my brother brought to book.” His father and aunt Taphita Nyanchama Osero asked why police did not inform the family of the incident in good time since the victim had identification documents on him.

Fatal bullets

Former Gesima ward councillor Zablon Mokaya, an uncle, Mr Peter Gasuku and education youth secretary in Rigoma Division Jefferson Kibagendi, demanded the arrest and prosecution of the police officer who fired the fatal bullets.

They threatened to hold demonstrations in Nyamira Town unless action was taken. “We are told that the pastor was killed while travelling in a matatu carrying bhang. If that is the case did the police have a right to shoot and kill the driver of the said vehicle simply because he was carrying illegal herbs?’’ Mr Mokaya asked. Cliff Abuga and Everline Kemunto, a younger brother and sister, recalled how the pastor used to fetch water from the river and prepare meals for the family so that they could concentrate on their studies, following the death of their mother.