Govt Shuts Down Rongo Church After Police Rescue 57 Members
This came after the dramatic escalation of events on the night before Easter Monday, April 20
Marvin Chege 
Melkio St Joseph’s Missions of Messiah Church in Opapo-Rongo Town has been shut down indefinitely after a wave of disturbing incidents and public backlash over mysterious deaths and illegal burials linked to the church.
This came after the dramatic escalation of events on the night before Easter Monday, April 20, when a family showed up to reclaim the body of their father, whose burial was set to take place on church grounds. Church members claimed they were simply respecting the man’s final wishes.
With the help of the police, the family stormed the premises and managed to rescue 57 people, along with retrieving the deceased’s body.
Rongo Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner George Matundura told the media that they acted based on credible information they had received. He then announced that members would be barred from entering the church while police investigations are ongoing.
File image of police and faithful at Melkio St Joseph’s Missions of Messiah Church. /KENYA NEWS AGENCY
He directed the congregation to select two representatives who would be escorted by police to collect personal items from the premises. Church members are expected to return to their homes on Wednesday, April 23.
"You will select two or three people who will go with the police to bring your belongings. Tomorrow, all of you will be expected to go home. Nobody will be allowed to go to the church," Matundura announced.
Matundura further stated that those who were sick or injured have been taken for medical treatment, and police have now taken full control of the church premises.
He also confirmed that two bodies were discovered on-site, with the cause of death still unknown pending autopsy results. The raid and rescue operation came after church leaders denied allegations and rumours claiming that multiple individuals had been secretly buried on the compound in a cult-like manner.
The church has previously stirred controversy, particularly over the burial of a General Service Unit (GSU) officer on its grounds. The officer died on March 27, 2025, and was buried the next day with a burial permit obtained by his wife, in line with the church’s practices.
Jacinter Achieng, the daughter of one of the deceased, claimed her father died after being attacked by local residents and the family of the GSU officer during a raid on the church the previous week.
“My father, a staunch church follower, was in good health until the attack that left him injured and ultimately led to his death,” lamented Achieng, adding, “They took my father’s body by force, despite our advocate having his will stating he wanted to be buried here. I fear I will be haunted by him for not honouring his request."
Achieng called on the government to step in and make sure her father’s final wishes are honoured, firmly stating that she would never take part in a burial held outside the church grounds.
However, the church’s lawyer, Benard Achola, said they plan to contest the decision to shut down the church. "There is no reason given by the DCC to warrant the closure of the church. We are thinking of ways of countering that," he stated.
The Rongo church has faced intense public scrutiny after police discovered two dead bodies within its compound. Additionally, 57 individuals, reportedly in a weakened state, were rescued during Sunday’s operation.
The incident drew similarities to the Shakahola massacre, which began on April 13, 2023, with reports that police had recovered the bodies of four people, with 11 others rescued from a controversial fasting event at Shakahola village, Magarini constituency in Kilifi County.
A police report on April 14, 2023, placed zealot pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge of the Good News International Church at the centre of the fasting programme and was further accused of manipulating his faithful into fasting to death.
What followed was the unearthing of shallow graves and the rescue of survivors, sparking a global humanitarian crisis. Mackenzie and 30 co-accused are now facing 191 counts of murder related to the massacre.
Police at mass graves in Shakahola. /THE ECONOMIST
