Eliud Wekesa, the self-stayed ‘Jesus’ of Tongaren’, is a free man after the State failed to provide evidence in an indoctrination case.
After spending five days in police cells, Bungoma Principal Magistrate Tom Orlando on Tuesday released the leader of New Jerusalem Church.
Yesu wa Tongaren had been accused of running a religious cult purporting to be Jesus Christ, teaching radical ideologies to his followers, as well as practising and promoting money laundering.
He was also accused of unlawful operation of an unregistered society.
Roots Party Leader George Wajackoyah represented Yesu wa Tongaren in court.
“It is very wrong to incriminate a religious leader based on the Shakahola incident. This man is very innocent and his arrest was purely political. A lot of Bungoma leaders, including the governor, were on the forefront pushing for his arrest,” Wajackoyah told the court.
The 2022 presidential aspirant added every religious leader has a right to preach the word of God and is protected by the Constitution.
The court ruled that Wekesa had no case to answer and set him free.
“The suspect has not been found with any offence following investigations that were done by police and therefore is set him free,” ruled Magistrate Orlando.
Yesu wa Tongaren attributed his release to God.
“It is God’s doing. I had earlier on said my lawyers would be the sun and the moon but God came through and placed a rainbow on my side in the form of lawyer Simiyu Wamalwa who has stood with me since the beginning, and Prof Wajackoyah who has come today to stand with me. I don’t take it for granted,” he said.
Wekesa also mentioned to the court that his only wealth is his beard and his hair.
“On Saturday, I went with some police officers to my home during their investigations, and I was glad, being a sabbath day, they got a chance to witness and count the offerings that were collected; Sh250, six tomatoes and four onions,” he said.
