There was drama at Sonhor in Nandi county when a Free Pentecostal Fellowship Bishop John Kitur was confronted by a girl dressed in full school uniform who handed him a child shouting “take your child”.
The 18-year-old Gladys Cheptoo dropped out of school in Form Two at Mutumon Secondary School after getting pregnant. The bishop had been charged with defiling the girl at Kapkoel village, Tinderet on January 10 last year.
The Bishop literally ran away from the scene to avoid further embarrassment from the girl who claims the bishoip defiled and impregnated her. The ugly incident was witnessed by Kapsabet Senior Principal Magistrate Beatrice Mosiria who was presiding over a DNA test in the same case.
Kitur had gone to the mobile court to receive the results of a DNA test in which the girl claimed the child belonged to the bishop. It was after being absolved through the DNA result that he was not the father of the child that the girl became disorderly shouting at the bishop who could not take it anymore.
Fearing further embarrassment from the girl, he ran leaving the baby with the area OCS Paul Tera. The girl also left the scene running but was caught by court staff who forced her to take her six-month-old baby.
Police sources say although the bishop escaped the pregnancy allegations through paternity test, he is likely to be charged afresh for defiling the girl. He had earlier denied the charges of being the biological father of the baby and demanded for a DNA test to prove he is not the baby’s father as the girl claimed. The test was done at Kapsabet District Hospital.
Sources say the girl was a minor at the time the accused allegedly defiled her on two occasions in January after which she claimed she got pregnant. During the hearing, Cheptoo told the court she bore a child in September following the alleged ordeal by the cleric whom she said was her guardian at the time.
“I come from a poor family. The reverend’s wife asked my parents to allow me to live with them in their home,” she said. She said the reverend took advantage of his wife’s absence in January to defile her. “His wife works as a shopkeeper at the local trading centre. The reverend defiled me twice while his wife was working at the shop. The first incident was on January 10 while the second incident happened in February 14. I later discovered that I had conceived,” Cheptoo told the court.
The girl explained that her aunt used to go to the accused’s church and every Wednesday, the bishop would visit her for what they termed as ‘prayer sessions’. On one instance, he missed the aunt and it was then that he defiled her and she became pregnant.
The civil society groups, Nandi women’s representative Zipporah Kering and Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation chair Sarah Kosgei had at one time led a demonstration demanding justice.
The Free Pentecostal Fellowship of Kenya has however said Kitur is not an official in the church. A church official, Peter Thuku, said Kitur is no longer its secretary general. Thuku said Kitur ceased being secretary general in March last year after elections. He was replaced by Walter Andhoga.
Kitur has been referring to himself as the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya secretary general something the church leadership has denied saying he lost the elections.
The 18-year-old Gladys Cheptoo dropped out of school in Form Two at Mutumon Secondary School after getting pregnant. The bishop had been charged with defiling the girl at Kapkoel village, Tinderet on January 10 last year.
The Bishop literally ran away from the scene to avoid further embarrassment from the girl who claims the bishoip defiled and impregnated her. The ugly incident was witnessed by Kapsabet Senior Principal Magistrate Beatrice Mosiria who was presiding over a DNA test in the same case.
Kitur had gone to the mobile court to receive the results of a DNA test in which the girl claimed the child belonged to the bishop. It was after being absolved through the DNA result that he was not the father of the child that the girl became disorderly shouting at the bishop who could not take it anymore.
Fearing further embarrassment from the girl, he ran leaving the baby with the area OCS Paul Tera. The girl also left the scene running but was caught by court staff who forced her to take her six-month-old baby.
Police sources say although the bishop escaped the pregnancy allegations through paternity test, he is likely to be charged afresh for defiling the girl. He had earlier denied the charges of being the biological father of the baby and demanded for a DNA test to prove he is not the baby’s father as the girl claimed. The test was done at Kapsabet District Hospital.
Sources say the girl was a minor at the time the accused allegedly defiled her on two occasions in January after which she claimed she got pregnant. During the hearing, Cheptoo told the court she bore a child in September following the alleged ordeal by the cleric whom she said was her guardian at the time.
“I come from a poor family. The reverend’s wife asked my parents to allow me to live with them in their home,” she said. She said the reverend took advantage of his wife’s absence in January to defile her. “His wife works as a shopkeeper at the local trading centre. The reverend defiled me twice while his wife was working at the shop. The first incident was on January 10 while the second incident happened in February 14. I later discovered that I had conceived,” Cheptoo told the court.
The girl explained that her aunt used to go to the accused’s church and every Wednesday, the bishop would visit her for what they termed as ‘prayer sessions’. On one instance, he missed the aunt and it was then that he defiled her and she became pregnant.
The civil society groups, Nandi women’s representative Zipporah Kering and Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation chair Sarah Kosgei had at one time led a demonstration demanding justice.
The Free Pentecostal Fellowship of Kenya has however said Kitur is not an official in the church. A church official, Peter Thuku, said Kitur is no longer its secretary general. Thuku said Kitur ceased being secretary general in March last year after elections. He was replaced by Walter Andhoga.
Kitur has been referring to himself as the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya secretary general something the church leadership has denied saying he lost the elections.
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