Police in Nakuru have arrested a paedophile masquerading as a pastor who has been stalking pupils and sexually abusing them after subjecting them to indecent acts.
The 45-year-old man, who preaches on Sunday in a small church in Railway Estate, also operates a boda boda taxi that he uses to ferry pupils to and from school, while often luring some into his rented house to subject them to vile acts.
Police in Nakuru town said yesterday the suspect was arrested after parents of 18 minors, one boy and 17 girls aged between 10 and 12, reported cases of sexual molestation by the man.
More victims were expected to turn up to write statements according to police who said the number could rise to 30. The acts were said to have been committed over a long period of time, some cases dating back to last year by the man who most of the parents trusted as a pastor and a rider who ferries their children to school.
Parents of some of the pupils of Lenana Primary School, located near the War Memorial Hospital, turned up at the school after they were summoned by the administration following the arrest of the man.
Wailing and screams rent the school compound for a while as the parents were told in a meeting by the school head teacher Maximilla Kilwake that a suspected paedophile, who had been molesting pupils had been arrested. T
he school management had convened an impromptu meeting after police pounced on the suspect in a small shop where he operates a video business, following a tip-off by some parents whose children had complained of being harassed by the “cleric”.
Parents, teachers, neighbouring community members and religious leaders who attended the meeting appeared stunned and outraged by allegations against the man they had known as a preacher attached to the branch of a local church.
Nakuru police boss Joshua Omukata said they arrested the suspect in his house after parents reported the complaints by their children. “He is in our custody and because of seriousness of the matter, investigations are going to be thorough to protect our children and offer justice,” he said adding tests and treatment of the victims were ongoing at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.
The suspect who spoke at Central Police Station claimed he was a pastor but said, the allegations against him were malicious. “I am a man of God and cannot harm children,” he said.
Lenana Parent Teachers Association chairman (PTA) Aggrey Amani said the suspect was a danger to school-going children and should be jailed. “Eighteen pupils being molested is a crisis and stern action must be taken against the suspect,” he said.
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