A Kenyan preacher who claims to be Jesus Christ and was arrested last week was released from police custody on Tuesday, 16 May, <a href="https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/89342-yesu-wa-tongaren-released-no-charges-pressed-heres-why">reported Kenyans</a>.
Bungoma Principal Magistrate Tom Olando ordered the Police to release Yesu wa Tongaren, whose real name is Eliud Wekesa after the prosecution stated that findings by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) did not offer any grounds to implicate him.
The prosecution, therefore, asked Principal Magistrate Tom Olando to release him and close the case.
Olando further ordered police not to interfere with Wekesa activities in Tongaren.
Wekesa, who is the founder and leader of the New Jerusalem Church, appeared before the Bungoma Law Courts, where one of the 2022 presidential candidates, Professor George Wajackoyah, represented him.
In the hearing on Tuesday, an Office of Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) officer informed the Court that the State had decided to close Wekesa’s file.
Wekesa briefly expressed his dissatisfaction with the arrest and arraignment, arguing that he fully complied with the investigators.
He further argued that he accompanied DCI officers to his home, where they investigated his religious doctrines. He said:
<blockquote>
Tulienda na maafisa wa polisi kwa boma wafanye uchunguzi, na bahati nzuri ilikuwa siku ya Jumamosi ambaye huwa ni siku ya Sabato. Polisi walihesabu sadaka wakapata ni shillingi 225 na nyanya kidogo na vitunguu. (I accompanied the police to my home to aid them in the investigations. Fortunately, it was a Saturday – the Sabbath. They counted Ksh225 offering, cherry tomatoes and onions.)
</blockquote>
Yesu wa Tongaren was being investigated for suspected cultic activities, the prosecution stated on 12 May while appearing before Bungoma Principal Magistrate.
The preacher was also facing investigations into possible activities relating to radicalisation, money laundering, and acquiring proceeds of crime.
Investigators also probed possible links to teaching radical ideologies to his followers, some of whom were minors.
Wekesa was first arrested on 10 May 2023, and he had been in police custody since then.
He welcomed the court’s ruling, with his lawyers asking the Government to stop harassing religious leaders as everyone is free to worship according to Article 32 of the constitution.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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Kenyan Court Orders Police To Release Preacher "Yesu wa Tongaren"

A Kenyan man who claims to be Jesus Christ was on Friday locked up by a court in Bungoma County for four more days to allow a mental health evaluation.
According to <a href="https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/bungoma/-yesu-wa-tongaren-held-4-more-days-for-mental-checks-4232254">The Nation</a>, Eliud Wekesa, alias Yesu wa Tongaren, who leads New Jerusalem Church, is accused of running a religious cult in Tongaren, purporting to be Jesus Christ.
Elijah Macharia, the Bungoma County director of criminal investigations said that they want to ascertain the preacher’s mental status in their investigation into alleged offences including cult activities.
Wekesa will be held at Bungoma Police Station, Principal Magistrate Tom Mark Olando said in his ruling.
Olando ordered that investigations be conducted within four days to enable the court to give a ruling on whether or not Wekesa can take a plea. Said Olando:
<blockquote>
The court expects the DCI to take the accused for a psychiatric assessment, conduct thorough investigations of his church and search his residential premises within four days.
</blockquote>
Before his appearance in court on Thursday afternoon, Wekesa was questioned by investigators for three consecutive days.
He spent Thursday night in a cell after a court in Bungoma said it would rule on his fate on Friday.
The police had asked the court to allow them to detain him for seven days for interrogation and further investigations.
Macharia, in a sworn affidavit, claimed the accused had refused to undergo the checks.
The police further requested the court to grant them a search warrant for Wekesa’s house and place of worship.
They also argued that he would interfere with witnesses if released from their custody.
Wekesa’s lawyer Wamalwa Simiyu objected to the request to detain his client and accused the police of arresting and arraigning him without conducting proper investigations.
The case will be mentioned on 16 May. A mention simply means where a matter is “mentioned” in Court.
It is where the matter is not formally listed for a plea of guilty or a plea of not guilty.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Kenyan Man Who Claims To Be Jesus Christ Arrested

A Kenyan national on Thursday appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with hacking the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) systems and stealing $20 million from its bank account.
The suspect, Primrose Nyeri Mwangi (40), is the director of Primkett Travels.
Mwangi appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje facing fraud charges.
The suspect was denied bail and returns to court this Friday.
Prosecutors told the court that in December 2022, Mwangi allegedly connived with Gerald Pondai and Prosper Hove, who are still at large, and hacked into the ZIMDEF database.
The suspects allegedly accessed ZIMDEF’s bank accounts.
They allegedly used the Zeepay ZimSwitch system and transferred $20 million from ZIMDEF into Maffkett Trading’s Steward Bank account.
The suspects further transferred various amounts into Atrier Engineering CBZ Bank, Newplaces (Pvt) Limited NBS Bank and Tavaka Holdings accounts.
The offence came to light on 28 December when ZIMDEF received an email alerting them of the transactions. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200005785/kenyan-national-hacks-into-zimdef-database-syphons-20m">NewsDay</a>

Kenyan National Hacks Into ZIMDEF Database, Steals $20 Million

A Kenyan man who assaulted his wife and sealed her genitalia with super glue in May 2020, has been sentenced to 50 years in jail by a Chuka Magistrate.
James Kifo Muriuki was charged with sexual assault, attempted murder, committing an unnatural offence and acting indecently against his wife.
Despite denying the charges, Muriuki was found guilty by Principal Magistrate Njoki Kahara of the Chuka Law Courts on 23 December 2022.
Allegations were that Muriuki had come back home to Tharaka Nithi after working in Nairobi for some time and confronted his wife.
He allegedly ordered her to strip naked and reveal to him all the men she had slept with while he was away.
He then beat her and put pepper, salt and super glue on her genitalia and used a knife to push the mixture into her private parts.
It was also alleged that Muriuki sealed her mouth and ears and left her for dead.
He was arrested for the offence a few days later and had been remanded at Embu GK Prison awaiting sentencing. | <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2022-12-24-man-who-sealed-wifes-genitalia-with-superglue-jailed-for-50-years/">The Star</a>

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