MOMBASA, October 22, 2013(CISA) -Leaders of various churches now claim that the freedom of religion is under attack after senseless killings of two evangelical pastors in Kilifi and Mombasa.
A statement issued by a group of influential evangelical Christian leaders on Monday October 21 condemned the killings and asked the Government to uphold the constitutional right to assemble and worship.
Kenya’s The Standard Newspaper reported that Mombasa County Police Commander Robert Kitur disclosed that two people, including a guard at the church, were being held over the fatal shooting of Pastor Charles Mathole of the Redeemed Gospel Church in Kisauni.
Kitur discounted claims that police had not taken any action even after being informed that unknown people had sent threatening messages to the pastor.
Officers at Nyali Police Station allegedly dismissed the death threats as hoaxes sent from convicted criminals, but Monday Kitur claimed he was not aware if any such report was made to the police.
“We normally protect mosques on Friday and churches every Sunday,” Kitur said and described the killing as “a very queer murder” whose motive has not been established.
When Pastor Charles Mathole was gunned down in Mombasa his counterpart of East Africa Pentecostal church Ibrahim Kithaka was also being attacked in Kilifi.
“The Mombasa Church Forum categorically states that no attack on Christians will deter us from our way of worship and our freedom of religion. To the perpetrators of these heinous attacks, we hereby state that we will not be intimidated and will continue to worship our Lord in our churches…,” said the statement signed by Bishops Wilfred Lai, Tom Arati, Lambert Mbela, Charles Kwake and Abarijah Kinogah.
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