2 Kenyans Arrested at the Ushindi church in Lowell

By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News, posted July 4, 2011

LOWELL, Mass._The ever changing saga at the Kenyan Community Presbyterian church (Ushindi) in Lowell hit a new turn yesterday when two church members were arrested during a worship service and held in custody at the Lowell police Station for about 8 hours.

The two Kenyans, Stephen Gichure and Daniel Kibui were however released on a $40.00 cash bail each pending appearance before a judge tomorrow at the Lowell District Court to answer charges related to their arrest.

  According to various witness accounts by members of the troubled church, two uniformed police officers led by Simon Kirubi a church ‘security officer” usher, walked in to the church yesterday as the service was going on and asked Gichure to get off his seat and follow them outside.

   Gichure, who was standing among other members as they sang a worship song, was nudged by members next to him alerting him that the police were asking him to step outside.

 Witnesses said that as Gichure complied with the order and stepped outside the sanctuary into the church hall, where he was informed that he was under arrest for trespass at the church and promptly handcuffed.

 “A crowd of church members, both those who were coming into the church and others who came out of the sanctuary gathered into the hall way to find out what was happening but we were asked to disperse by the police”, said Adams Kanai, a former church treasurer ad board member.

As the officers marched Gichure   outside into the parking lot where about 6 police vehicles were parked, an alarmed parishioner, Daniel Kibui insisted to know why they were arresting a church member right from the service.

Witnesses told Ajabu Africa that it was at this point that Kibui was also arrested for interfering with police work and both men were herded away in a party Van.
 
 Members said that after the shocking arrests, the church service continued as usual and that there was no mention of the incidence at all by the church leadership.

Daniel Kibui:Charged with intefering with police work

Stephen Gichure:Charged with trespass at Ushindi church

“The service continued as if there nothing has happened. There was baptism of children, confirmation of new members, and reading of the word and even partaking of the Holy Sacrament were baptized”, said Kanai the former treasurer.

However, after spending 8 hours in custody at the Lowell Police Department, the Gichure and Kibui were each released on a $40.00 cash bail and booked to appear before a judge at the Lowell District court tomorrow morning at 8.30 am.

 “I was informed that I will answer charges related to trespass at the church”, said Gichure during an interview with Ajabu Africa   outside Lowell Police station soon after the release.

 “I told the officers that if I was getting arrested for attending my church, then everybody else in the church should have been arrested. I am looking forward to defend myself and my faith in court tomorrow”, he added.
 
 “I just could not understand why Gichure was getting arrested and so I said that if they were arresting a member of our church for coming to worship, hen I also wanted to get arrested”,
Kibui told Ajabu Africa News soon after the cash bail release.

 The arrests were a culmination of several incidents where the Lowell police have been summoned recently into the troubled church that has been going through a difficult time since the pastor, Rev. Dr. Mumbui Karimi was accused of sexual abuse of a young church member and later temporality defrocked by the Presbytery of Northern New England PNNE which oversees affairs at the church.

 However, the pastor disregarded the church oversight body and returned to the church after several months of absence, denying any relationship between Ushindi church and the PNNE.

 Consequently, PNNE decided to defrock Dr. Mumbui permanently citing gross violation of rules and regulations on the Presbyterian Church as set out in the Book of Order.

Challenging the church oversight body, Dr. Mumbui in turn pursued court proceedings to restrain PNNE from interfering with the Ushindi church affairs.

 During one of the most recent incidences at the church ago during the just concluded father’s day service, police were summoned by the church security after Gichure, who had been allocated the duty as an usher for the day, used a wireless microphone in his hands to pose questions and blaming the pastor for causing the existing hatred and division among the members in the church.

Ushers at the church usually handle wireless microphones that are handed over to visitors at the church to introduce them selves and greet the people, and since it was a father’s day service, several men were allocated different duties to lead the entire service.

Rev. Dr. Mumbui Karimi, Ushindi church pastor

 Gichure has in the past also been one of the most vocal voices in the church who has challenged the church leadership to address pressing issues which have led to a serious division in the church.

Currently, the church has been split down the middle into supporters of the pastor and those opposed to his leadership after the sex abuse allegations.

 “Many people especially the church leaders and supporters of the pastor usually avoid greeting or talking to other members who are on the opposition side yet they come to the church and pretend to pray and worship seriously”, said the concerned father of 4 while on an interview with Ajabu Africa.

 “Is this what Jesus would do in such circumstances”, asked the furious man who at one time moved around the church aisles  waving a placard demonstrating against the pastor only for it to be snatched  and torn apart by a woman supporter of the pastor.

 In an attempt to restore order at the PCUSA affiliated church, the Presbytery of Northern New England recently filed an injunction motion   to restrain the pastor from conducting the service and other church business until a pending case involving the jurisdiction of PNNE over Ushindi church and its funds is settled.

 However, the motion was denied by a judge at the Woburn District court on the basis of insufficient evidence of any irreparable damage that would occur to the members of the church if the pastor is not legally removed from the church.

 After the ruling, calmness seemed to return to the church only for emotions to suddenly erupt again culminating into the two arrests.

 Reached for comment, Stephen Kanyoni, the Ushindi church secretary who handles official church communications said that he was not aware when the arrests happened why they happened.

Stephen Kanyoni, church secretary

He added that the pastor and the entire church leadership were seated at the front pews as usual   when the arrests too place as parishioners were singing during a praise and worship session.

 “I do not know what happened. Me and the church leadership were in the front pews and had no idea of what was going on in the back. In fact I don’t think many people in the church knew most of these developments as they took place in the church”, said Kanyoni during a telephone interview with Ajabu Africa.

 Kanyoni declined to comment about the 2 previous incidences where the police have been summoned to the church   to respond to reported disturbances.

Asked how the police were summoned into the sanctuary without the knowledge of the church leadership, Kanyoni said that he did not know who called up the police.

However the secretary quickly added that “if indeed there was a problem at the back of the church, anyone could call the police without the express authority of the church leaders for the sake of peace”.  

He said that since the situation has landed into the hands of law enforcement, then "all we can do is wait for the court proceedings to hear the facts infront of a judge", he told Ajabu Africa.

 The court hearings will take place at 8.30 am tomorrow morning, July 5, at the district court located at 41 Hurd Street in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts.

Stephen Gichure, left, and Daniel Kibui, second left accompanied by family and friends after being released from the Lowell Police station last night. The two were arrested from the Kenyan Community Ushindi church in Lowell and charged with two charged related to the ongoing trouble at the church. pic by H.Maina, Ajabu Media

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