Eight sickly family members rescued from Rarienda's religious home

 Police in Rarienda, Siaya, have raided a home and rescued eight sickly family members who had refused to get medical attention citing religious teachings.

The rescued were six children aged between two and six years, police said.

According to police, they had been informed two families had refused to take their sick children to the hospital as it was against the teachings of Christo Church doctrines.

Police went to the home of one David Owego and found his three children and wife lying sick and praying.

The team also raided the home of a neighbour and found three other children and a wife sick.

The owner of the house was not present and is said to be working in Nairobi.

Police said they arrested a man who was found offering basic education at the home.

The mothers of the children were also detained and would be charged with willfully neglecting to take sick children to hospital under the Children Act 2022.

The woman’s three other children aged six, four and two were taken to a children’s home for care.

Another woman had her two-year-old son taken to hospital as she was detained by police.

Two other children aged six and four were taken to a children’s home in the area.

Police said the rescued victims were responding well in hospital.

The police say there has been a rise in cases of occultism, which are leading to deaths.

Most of those in the practice cite religion for the same amid calls for action to tame the trend.

This has prompted authorities to launch operations to address the menace and form a task force to seek ways of regulating the practices.

Last week, a multi-agency team consisting of officers from the DCI, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Kisumu County Health Department raided the church belonging to Kisumu clergy Father John Pesa.

The team was executing a search warrant on the Holy Ghost Coptic Church facility following ongoing investigations into claims that the controversial preacher detains the sick for prayers at the premises.

The officers visited the rooms where some of the mentally ill patients were allegedly detained and took them into a standby ambulance, which was later driven to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).

The officers also visited and examined a number of graves in a yard next to the church, where the preacher explained to the officers that they belonged to deceased nuns who worked at the church.

In June, the Senate Ad-hoc committee investigating the proliferation of religious organizations also raided the church and rescued eight people who were detained for prayers.   BY THE STAR