Court releases Rongo church leaders amid cult-like practice allegations
The police had been investigating the church over allegations of radicalization and other related concerns.
Four individuals linked to the controversial Melkio St. Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa church, based in Rongo sub-county, have been released by a Migori court after spending over a month in remand.
The police had been investigating the church over allegations of radicalization and other related concerns.
The released members, who are believed to hold key leadership positions within the church, were freed following a petition by their lawyer, Benard Achola, at the Migori High Court.
Achola expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, which overturned a previous ruling from the lower court on May 23, 2025, that had ordered the continued detention of the four for an additional 21 days.
The church’s lawyer stated that the four individuals were released on free bond and surety.
Achola added that the released members will comply with the court’s conditions, which require them to stay away from the church amid the ongoing police investigations.
A few weeks earlier, the court in Rongo had also freed 49 members of the same controversial church as part of the continued inquiry.
The government shut down the church following the deaths of two people who had attended prayer services there, with one of the deceased being buried within the church grounds in Rongo Sub-County.
