Kisumu — A multi agency team discovered four graves at the church of a controversial Man of God in Kisumu on Friday.
The team consisting of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and Kisumu county health department raided the church belonging to Kisumu clergy Father John Pesa of the Holy Ghost Coptic Church.
ODPP prosecutors were executing a search warrant on the facility following ongoing investigations regarding the controversial preacher's church which detains the sick for prayers.
According to Father Pesa, the graves belonged to nuns who worked in the church.
"The Man of God explained to the officers that nuns who works in church are always buried in the church compound whenever they die," said a church member.
The officers visited the rooms where some of the mentally ill patients are detained and took them into a standby ambulance which was later driven to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital JOOTRH for treatment.
The officers examined the graves in a yard next to the church, but declined to speak to the media for any further cause of action.
The cleric, Father Pesa, was also grilled during the visit with reports that the government is keen on pressing charges in court against him. He was however not arrested.
For close to three decades, Father Pesa has been at loggerheads with enforcement officers over the detainment of ill patients at his church for prayers.
On several occasions, he has been arrested and arraigned in court.
In all instances, he has been released due to lack of concrete evidence to incriminate him.
His argument has been that families of the patients should be held accountable for bookings at his place of worship.
The government continues to blame him for exposing the patients to unfavourable environment.
In June this year, the Senate Adhoc committee investigating the proliferation of religious organizations also raided the church and rescued 8 people who were detained for prayers, they decried the deplorable situation in which the patients were held.
