The police in Kenya have arrested 55 Ugandan nationals suspected of being members of a religious cult.
The 29 adults and 26 minors from Serere district were arrested on Tuesday at Nakuru county main bus terminal, where they were reportedly planning to board a vehicle to Nairobi, and eventually, Ethiopia.
Kenyan media quoted the Nakuru East senior deputy county commissioner, Simiyu Were, saying preliminary investigations had established that the group, who are members of the Christ Disciples Church (CDC), did not have proper travel documents and were heading to Yangatom, Ethiopia, for what they termed as an evangelism mission.
“The Kenyan government will not allow them to proceed to their destination unless they provide proper and official travel documentation,” Simiyu told the Kenyan media.
Isaac Adile, the only one who spoke English in the group, said they had left eastern Uganda on Sunday but were stranded at the Nakuru bus terminal after they ran out of money for the fare.
“We are on a mission to spread the gospel to Ethiopians for a week and then return to Uganda. We gained entry into Kenya through the Busia border point and more members from our church are already in Ethiopia for the same reason,” Adile told journalists.
Simiyu indicated that the security committee had resolved to facilitate their immediate return to Uganda.
The arrest of the 55 in Kenya indicates how Ugandan security agencies have relaxed and failed to trail the victims. Local leaders in Obululun village, Bugondo sub-county in Kidetok town council and Olwa village in Pingire town council all in Serere district told journalists that they had received intelligence reports about another group due to leave the country for Ethiopia.
Oscar Acega, the East Kyoga region Police spokesperson, said they had been notified about the arrest.
“I can’t comment on the matter now, please get in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Acega said, though confirming that they were hunting for CDC sect leaders — the Rev. James Enyaku and Augustine Orago.
The duo is believed to have wooed their followers into selling their belongings and migrating to Ethiopia. Early this year, the Police announced over 100 CDC sect members had gone missing in Serere district.
Last month, the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs confirmed the arrival of hundreds of Ugandan nationals reportedly fleeing their country over doomsday fears.
Meles Alem, the ministry’s spokesperson, confirmed that the Ugandan nationals were camping in Yangatom, which borders Kenya.
The arrest of the 55 Ugandans comes in the wake of ongoing investigations into the dealings of pastors Paul Mackenzie and Ezekiel Odero over the Shakahola cult in Kenya.
The two are accused of indoctrination and asking their followers to starve to death in order to go to heaven.
Over 100 bodies have since been recovered in Shakahola, Kilifi county in Kenya, where Mackenzie had a church.
Odero is being investigated over murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, genocide, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, money laundering and being an accessory to crimes.
