KIRINYAGA: Thieves Break Into Church, Do Away With Equipments Worth Ksh500,000
Thieves broke into Gatuto ACK Church in Kanyeki-ini Ward, Kirinyaga Central, and stole sound equipment valued at more than Ksh500,000, leaving congregants struggling to follow Sunday worship.
The thieves struck on Saturday, August 8, after gaining entry to the church compound by breaking through the gate before accessing the building through a window and an inner door.
Among the items stolen were speakers, a bass speaker, a mixer amplifier, receivers, microphones, a keyboard, connecting cables and a crossover used to run the church’s sound system.
The break-in was discovered by church worker, who raised the alarm after noticing signs that parts of the church had been tampered with.
She said she was surprised to find some of the padlocks still intact before realising that the thieves had entered through a window.
“I could not believe it after I discovered the padlocks were intact and realised that they had entered through the window,” the eyewitness said.
The theft became apparent when congregants gathered for Sunday worship and found themselves without the equipment normally used to amplify the service.
James Macharia, who operates the church’s sound system, said most of the stolen equipment was fairly new and its absence was immediately felt.
Without the sound system, worshippers struggled to hear the reverend and participate fully in the service, forcing the congregation to rely largely on their voices.
Church People’s Warden Stephen Munene said the latest incident was not the first time the church had been targeted.
Munene said thieves had previously stolen the church gate and water taps in separate incidents, raising concern among church leaders over the security of the institution and the cost of replacing stolen property.
The latest incident adds to previous reports of church break-ins in Kirinyaga.
Members of three churches in the county previously counted losses after thieves stole property worth more than Ksh1 million and allegedly desecrated sacred items.
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The affected churches included St Joseph Catholic Church, an ACK church in Kiamangunyi and Fountain of Life Church.
Church leaders said the intruders struck at night after forcing open windows before accessing different rooms within the premises.
The incidents come amid wider concerns over security at religious institutions in Kenya.
In June, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested three suspects linked to the attack on All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi, bringing the number of suspects held over the incident to five.
While at Gatuto ACK Church, leaders have reported the latest theft to police, with investigations underway as they seek to identify the suspects and recover the stolen equipment.
The church now faces the challenge of replacing the equipment as it works to restore normal worship services.
KIRINYAGA: Thieves Break Into Church, Do Away With Equipments Worth Ksh500,000
