Coronavirus: Two arrested in Kitengela preaching in an empty church

Two preachers have been arrested within the Changombe area, Kitengela, at the Tabernacle church while conducting a church service.

Police officers who were acting on a tip-off from members of the public raided the church early Sunday morning and found Paul Nzungula and Peter Kimani preaching to an empty church.

The loud sermon had attracted a crowd that had formed outside the church, curious on whether church services were still ongoing.

Officers handling the matter confiscated a speaker, a piano, a mixer and one microphone which will be taken to the court as exhibit.

Kajiado West sub-county police commander Kinyua Mugambi confirmed the incident saying the two had been arrested and later released on police bond.

They will be arraigned in court at later date to answer to charges of defying a government’s directive that ordered all public gatherings to be halted.

Prior to the arrests, Apostle Paul Nzungula had through the ministry’s Facebook page announced that the church service would be broadcasted on Facebook live.

The Kenyan government previously banned all public gatherings including church services in measures meant to avert the new coronavirus.

On Saturday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced 7 new positive cases of coronavirus in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 38.

Speaking at Afya House during a press address on Saturday, CS Kagwe said the new COVID-19 infections were part of 81 suspected cases tested at various laboratories in the country within the past 24 hours.

The 7 new cases, all of which he said were recorded in Nairobi County, include three females and 4 males. They are composed of 4 Kenyans, 2 Congolese nationals and 1 Chinese national.

CS Kagwe also said 4 of them had a history of travel from countries with active transmissions of the disease while one had been to Mombasa and the other two are contacts of previous cases.

The CS however also came bearing some positive news saying two patients have since tested negative and are set to undergo another test for confirmation.