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Hired goons burn church, kill two faithful in Kisii

Details

Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 02:57

Hired goons yesterday raided a Catholic church in Bonchari constituency in Kisii set it on fire and killed two faithful.The gang of about 100, armed with all sorts of crude weapons including arrows, simis and machetes, invaded the church at 12.30 pm attacking followers indiscriminately.

Several church followers were seriously injured during the incident which lasted one-and-half hours.Those injured were rushed to Kisii District and Getembe hospitals with deep cuts. By the time of going to press, more casualties were being brought in at the two hospitals. Business at the two hospitals came to a standstill as members of public and relatives of those attacked flocked to visit them.

The deceased whose bodies were removed from the scene and taken to Kisii District Hospital mortuary were identified by the hospital’s superintendent J Mogoa as Samuel Mirieri and Onuonga Nyatangi former Kisii ASK Show chairman. The incident which occurred at Bogiakumu Church brought business along the Kisii-Migori road to a standstill as members of public rushed the survivors to hospitals.

There was a pool of blood in the church, with furniture broken and windows shattered. A survivor, Cornellius Okindo, who is admitted at Kisii District Hospital with deep cuts on his body, told the Press that the attackers invaded the church and started attacking the faithful indiscriminately without saying a word.

He said that some of the attackers were carrying petrol which they poured before lighting a match stick sending followers scampering for dear life. The whole church was on fire as we scampered for dear life with the gang attacking us,” Okindo recalled. He said that some of the attackers wearing jackets and long coats had come to the church earlier posing as faithful before taking positions.

He added that when they were later joined by their colleagues whom they were waiting for, they immediately closed the church doors as they attacked followers including young children. Okindo claimed the incident was political as those killed and injured were supporters of one aspirant for the Bonchari seat.

Those who had been admitted at the Kisii District Hospital were identified as Felix Mayore, William Nyamanya, Richard Moracho and Okindo. Anti-riot police from Kisii Police Station immediately rushed to the scene after the incident and found the gang already gone. The district security team were on their way to the scene to institute investigations on the incident.