Death in church as pastor stabs wife, slits own throat
A church pulpit yesterday turned into a murder scene when a pastor in Mombasa fatally stabbed his wife, also a pastor, before committing suicide.
Elisha Misiko stabbed Apostle Anna Elisha Mughoi several times in the back and hand and later slit his throat over alleged differences regarding the ownership of the church.
The 40-year-old Mughoi was conducting the Sunday sermon at the 3G (Ground for God’s Gospel) church in Kiembeni, Kisauni sub-county, when her husband attacked her.
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According to Janet Tole, a worshiper, the apostle was about 20 minutes into her sermon when her estranged husband walked into the church and sat.
Minutes later, Misiko walked to the pulpit as if he wanted to speak to his wife of 26 years with whom he has not been in good terms in recent months.
According to witnesses, Misiko was holding an A4 envelope, in which two kitchen knives and a handwritten suicide note, were hidden.
“He walked into the church and sat down. A few minutes later, he walked towards his wife and whipped out a knife he had hidden in an envelope and stabbed her in the back and hand,” said Tole.
Church dispute
Witnesses said the pastor was aiming at the wife’s heart and throat but she blocked the knife with her hand.
“They have been wrangling over the ownership of the church. Since they separated, the wife took over the affairs of the church, which angered her husband. We could not believe such a thing could happen,” said Tole.
While the congregation screamed and rushed to the Woman’s rescue, the pastor retrieved a second knife from the envelope and stabbed himself in the stomach three times before slitting his throat.
Worshipers rushed the woman to hospital where, according to the police, she succumbed to the knife wounds.
According to the suicide note titled “Betrayal and its consequences”, Misiko accused his wife of colluding with other worshipers to snatch the church, which they started together in 2018, from him.
“Nilinunua plot kwa pesa yangu nilizotolea jasho yangu. Nilipeana plot kwa Mungu ili mimi na Anna tukue wachungaji, tumtumikie. Inakuwaje wananizuia nisishiriki wala kuhudumu? (I bought a plot with my hard-earned money and we decided to build a church so that Anna and I can serve God. But why have they locked me out of from worshiping and serving in the church?” read the note.
In the note seen by People Daily, the pastor accused his wife of shifting to Voi with their children and cohabiting with another man, a church member.
“Nilinunua vyombo vya kanisa na pesa za loan. Inakuwaje nanyimwa kugusa vyombo vyangu? Nasomesha watoto wangu na pesa zangu huku nikinyimwa kuwaona. Ninasingiziwa nilifanya mapenzi na dadake mke wangu, hayo yote yakiwa ni uwongo. (I bought church equipment using a loan but I am not allowed to use them. I pay my children’s school fees but I have been barred from seeing them. I was accused of having an affair with my sister-in-law which is a lie),” he added in the note.
Kisauni sub-county Police Commander Julius Kiragu said police have launched investigations into the matter.
“We have taken the suicide note and we are going to investigate the claims leveled against church officials and take necessary action,” said Kiragu.
Their bodies are lying at the Coast Provincial General Hospital.
