Robbers break into Mombasa church, steal property worth Ksh1 million
Church property estimated at Ksh 1 million was on Friday, May 14 stolen when robbers broke into Holy Trinity Church in Africa (HTCA), located at Kaa Chonjo in Tudor, Mombasa.
The church worshipers and neighbours were unable to explain how the burglars pulled off their mission at night when police are expected to be on patrol while enforcing the nighttime curfew.
The break-in, according to some of the church members, is believed to have happened at 12 am; the robbers digging a hole through the wall of the pastor's restroom, to access the church room where the equipment was stored and made away with them.
"They only left a few plastic chairs and a bottle of sacramental wine used by the priest during a holy communion, otherwise they would have drunk it all,”said a disappointed Sharon Atieno, a church member.
Stranded Church worshippers were today Sunday, May 16 left shocked to establish their sound systems equipment they used to amplify their worshiping was nowhere to be found. Sunday service was paralyzed for hours as worshippers were yet to come to terms with the incident.
According to the church pastor, Rev Joshua Owiti reported that the church lost its sound systems, including amplifiers, several wireless microphones, two giant speakers, consumer units, about 10 plastic chairs, electric switches, curtains, and other electric materials estimated to be ksh 1 million.
“We are asking police to investigate and bring into book the perpetrators. We are now grounded as a church, we now need help to acquire new equipment because they are very expensive, “said Agrey Onyando,lay reader of the church.
According to a neighbor who did not want to be named for fear of victimization stated that she heard individuals canvassing, disguising as members of the church on Friday night but she did not raise alarm as she believed they had attended a normal kesha.
“I heard people discussing loudly, we did not think they were thieves because it is something we couldn’t have imagined could happen in a church, we thought they were members of the church attending a Kesha,”she said.
However, news was broken to the church leadership by one Simon Ayieko, one who had reported to the Church on Saturday afternoon to do some cleaning in preparations for Sunday service. During the robbery there was no one in the church.
“Immediately I reported the matter to the church leadership, where we also moved quickly to report to Makupa police station. Police came with us, questioned some neighbors and left, we are hoping they will establish the robbers,” said Oyieko.
Cases of criminal activities within Mombasa city have been recorded even with the dusk to dawn curfew orders that were issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta. By Sunday Makupa Police were yet to arrest any suspect in regards to the incident two days after it happened.
“We are urging police to protect our properties because they are the only people moving around at night to enforce the curfew. We can’t continue to lose our properties we should have protected if there was no curfew,” Peter Ouko said
