Police in Mombasa are holding a pastor who is accused of sexually assaulting four minors under his care.
The 43-year-old cleric of a pentecostal church in Jomvu was arrested on Sunday in Kanaona village where he had gone into hiding after reports he raped four girls between August 21 and 23.
A medical report from Port Reitz Hospital confirmed the minors, aged between four and eight, had been sexually assaulted.
The pastor was the children’s Sunday school teacher and also instructed them in martial arts, police said.
The alleged assault against the children was unearthed after a parent noticed her daughter walking with difficulty. Upon inquiry, the girl said she had been raped inside the church.
After medics confirmed that the girl had been assaulted, an investigation was conducted that revealed there were more victims.
The preacher had gone into hiding after residents threatened to storm the church and lynch him.
“We have extended our investigations because we want to establish if the suspect has been doing this for long, and whether there are other victims. We urge anyone with information to come forward,” said Jomvu police boss James Mutua.
