Death Robs Kenyans of a Great Evangelist, Funds Needed for Burial

The late Pastor Amos Wanzala preaching at the Rapture Harvest Mission International church in wakefield , mass during a rare Luhya day celebrations held in April this year. The pastor passed away last week in Nairobi Kenya , and his family needs help with burial expenses.

Story and photography by Harrison Maina, AjabuAfrica News, posted July 13, 2010

A Kenyan pastor, Amos Wanzala, who just returned home after several months of ministering here in the US, has passed away. Unfortunately, Pastor Wanzala’s body is held at a hospital mortuary in Nairobi pending clearance of a hospital bill the family has no ability to pay.

As a result, a fund raising event has been scheduled to take lace at the Rapture Harvest Mission International church this coming Sunday, July 18, starting at 3pm.

According to information from Bishop Joshua Wambua of Rapture Harvest Mission International church, where the late pastor preached for two months before heading back to Kenya, the late Pastor Wanzala, 36, died last week of heart attack at the Nairobi West Hospital after spending 7 days in a diabetic coma.

He leaves behind a wife and two children.

“He was rushed to the Nairobi West Hospital where he slipped into a comma that lasted several days,” said Bishop Wambua. “It’s a tragic loss, and we as a church are praying for the family of the late Pastor Wanzala,” he added.

The late Pastor Amos Wanzala (center), with Bishop Joshua Wambua , left, during the Luhya day celebrations at the RHMI

The late pastor left Boston for Nairobi Kenya on April 20th this year, after spending two months in Boston where he preached at several venues. Prior to coming to Boston, Pastor Wanzala had gone through Kansas State where he was also on ministry work.

In an interview with Ajabu Africa.com, pastor Wambua said that after talking to Wanzala’s family on the phone, as well as Luhya leaders, he was informed that the pastor suffered a heart attack that took his life after doctors had managed to stabilize his blood sugar.  

Bishop Wambua said that after talking to Mzee Joseph Mithiga, an elder at the Rapture Harvest Mission who had just arrived in Nairobi Kenya with his wife, intending to link up with pastor Wanzala for a preaching tour in Kenya, he learnt that the pastor’s body is being held at the Nairobi West Hospital because the family has been unable to clear a hospital bill to have the body released for burial in his home town of Busia, Western Kenya.

An orphan and a father of two, pastor Wanzala was the sole breadwinner for his own family as well as his brothers and sisters. Pastor Wanzala’s parents passed away when he was 7 years old, and being the eldest son, he had to take care of his siblings, struggling through a lot of hardship.

“Wanzala was the only person in the whole family providing livelihood, but now he has gone. As a pastor who was in transition to joining the Rapture Harvest mission church in Nairobi, we can only hope to come together and get friends to raise some funds to assist in the burial,” added the pastor.

The fiery, seven-foot tall, soft spoken pastor will be fondly remembered by Kenyans and other Africans in Boston who had a chance to interact with him for his devotion to the word of God, and a great sense of humor.

He left a indelible mark in the Kenyan community in the USA for his humbleness despite his towering and immense size, as well as his solid devotion to teaching people the need to worship the true word of God.

Just before he left for Kenya, pastor Wanzala led prayers during a wake memorial and fund raising service for the late Jimmy Kimunya, a young Kenyan man in Boston and a popular soccer player who passed away from complications while undergoing colon cancer treatment in April this year. Like pastor Wanzala, the late Kimunya was also 36 years when he passed away.

The late Jimmy Kimunya, (with the ball) plays for his Kenyan team during a previous One Lowell World Cup tournament in Lowell, Mass. Prayers at Kimunya's wake, memorial and fund raising events were conducted by pastor Amos Wanzala shortly before he left for Kenya.The pastor has now passed away.

During the fundraising event for the late Kimunya, about $30,000 was raised to send the body back home.

Apart from preaching and attending various prayer sessions at different fellowships in Massachusetts, pastor Wanzala will also be remembered for declaring his love for the Luhya people, their massive and untapped potential and his desire to see most of the Luhya’s diverse sub tribes to start worshipping the true living God and create more unity among them so as to enjoy better living standards.

During a rare Luhya day event held early this year at the Rapture Harvest Mission church, pastor Wanzala encouraged Luhya’s to wake up and use their varied talents to bring about unity and serve God.

“For the short time I knew pastor Wanzala since the Luhya Day celebrations, I came to find out that he was a very good  person, humble and had a great sense of humor and was really dedicated to the work of God,” said Rev. John Wesonga of the International Faith Outreach Ministries in Springfield. 

“We invited him to preach in our church one week after the Luhya day and he gave a great sermon on how to put our trust in the lord no matter what happens,” he added.

The late Pastor Amos Wanzala leads in prayers during the Jimmy Kimunya wake and memorial service.With him is Omondi Owera, of Kenyans For Change organization

Rev. Wesonga said that when people in his church heard that pastor Wanzala had passed, they were all touched very much, especially because God has taken him at a very young age.

“All we have to do now is stand with his family and as a church of Christ, we have to see how we can reach out to his family for help”.

Patrick Inyagwa, another leader of the Luhya community in Boston, said that Wanzala was a person who did not care where a person came from, but wanted to help anyone, and loved doing the work of God.

“He was a straight talker who really helped get the truth come out during the Luhya day that started the healing process among the diverse subgroups of the Luhya tribe. For him, he the truth was very important, even though it sometimes hurts,” said Inyangwa. He has gone away too soon and we are very devastated,” he told AjabuAfrica.com

From left to right, Rev. John Wesonga,( partly hidden), Bishop Joshua Wambua , the late Pastor Amos Wanzala together with other Kenyans celebrate the Luhya day back in April, this year.

“I am devastated by the sudden loss of pastor Wanzala, said Omondi Owera of the new Kenyans For Change organization, who was the chairman of the fundraising committee for the late Jimmy Kimunya.

"Pastor Wanzala walked us through a very hard time during our friend’s death and it is so sad to hear of his loss,” added Omondi.

A fund raising event has been scheduled to take place at the Rapture Harvest Mission International on this coming Sunday, July 18 starting 3pm.

Members of the community and friends have been requested to come and help raise the funds to help the family pay for the pending hospital bill of over Ksh. 218,000 (about $2,700), as well as assist his family with other final expenses, so that the body may be released for a decent burial of the dedicated man of God.

The funds drive will take place at :
33 West Water Street
Wakefield, MA 01880
For more Information, contact Bishop Joshua Wambua at:
Phone: Tel: 617-899-9130/Tel: 617-913-9297

Ajabu Africa.com wishes to convey our heart felt condolences to the family of the late Pastor Amos Wanzala, who we have been in contact with on several occasions.

May God keep his soul in eternal peace. Amen.

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