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Members of Gospel Embassy Chapel in Kisii are demanding a refund of Ksh.7 million they allegedly paid a politician for a parcel of land where they planned to construct a mega church project in Kisii Town.
The angry faithful further claimed that their efforts to recover the money through the criminal justice system have been frustrated after the politician was allegedly released following intervention by a senior government official.
The church members are now appealing to President William Ruto to intervene in the matter.
The mood at Gospel Embassy Chapel was tense on Saturday morning as members expressed frustration over the alleged loss of the money.
The members accused the politician of failing to refund the Ksh.7 million they allegedly paid for a parcel of land next to the church, where they intended to put up a mega church project.
The church members, accompanied by their lawyers, further alleged that senior government officials had intervened in the matter, leading to the politician's release after his arrest.
"Inasikitisha jinsi ambavyo tumejaribu kutafuta hiyo milioni saba kupitia kiongozi wetu amekataa," Rachel Nyatichi, an elder at Gospel Embassy Chapel, stated.
The faithful said the money was raised through contributions from church members, with some expressing anger over the alleged failure to either transfer the land or refund the money.
"Yaani tumechanga pesa sana kanisani kabisa na sasa anatuibia. Tunataka pesa yetu, tafadhali. Unacon kanisa yetu, kwa nini? Tunataka pesa yetu. Eti anataka kuwa mbunge Bobasi na amechukua pesa yetu," Isabella Metobo, a faithful at Gospel Embassy Chapel, stated.
According to the church members, they entered into an agreement with a bank to finance the purchase of the land and have been servicing the loan for nearly six years.
"Alituambia anataka milioni saba, tukaenda naye hadi kwa shamba na baadaye moja kwa moja tukampea milioni saba. Kumbe alikuwa anatudanganya tu," Hudson Mose, a church elder, stated.
The church members further claimed that the politician was arrested and taken to the Kisii Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters before a senior government official allegedly made a call that resulted in his release.
They said the suspect's file was later transferred to Nairobi for further review, leaving them questioning the progress of the investigations and the status of their case.
Citizen TV reached out to the politician, who declined to respond to the allegations raised by the church members.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the politician's response to the claims was not immediately available.
The church members are now appealing to President Ruto and relevant investigative agencies to intervene and help them recover the Ksh.7 million they claim was paid for the disputed parcel of land.
