Authorities in Bondo, Siaya County, have closed St. Abraham Israel Assemblies of God Church indefinitely after four children were severely burnt with boiling water during an alleged exorcism ritual.
Four suspects including the church’s lead pastor, his pastor son, a deacon, and the mother of one of the victims are currently held in police custody as investigations proceed.
The incident came to light on Thursday, October 8 after a school teacher reported a child’s severe burn injuries to law enforcement. Upon investigating, multi-agency officials traced the incident to a Sunday ritual where church leaders used a boiling substance termed “Michael” during a cleansing exercise meant to cast out evil spirits from minors.
Osoi Stephen, Assistant County Commissioner for Maranda Division, confirmed the arrests and issued a stern warning against abusive practices masked as religious worship.
“Churches are places of worship, not slaughterhouses,” Stephen said. “You cannot take a child as young as five years old and wash them with boiling water. The church will remain closed indefinitely until investigations are complete and all culprits are brought to court.”
Sub-County Children’s Officer Beatrice Auma reported that the rescued child was taken to a local hospital for urgent medical treatment. She stated that her office will file a care and protection application in court to secure the child’s safety.
Authorities are actively searching for three additional children injured during the same ritual who are currently missing. Two of the missing children are reportedly from Usigu Sub-County, while the third is from Migwena. Officials have urged their families to present the children immediately for medical care and safety assessments.
Karen Achieng, the mother of a five-year-old victim, described the harrowing ordeal, stating that her child’s skin began peeling off immediately after being washed with hot water at the church altar. She alleged that the deacon responsible promised to cover the medical expenses but subsequently cut off communication.
Police operations to trace the missing minors and conclude charges against the four detained suspects remain ongoing.
