Mombasa boy who went missing during church service was found dead in bishop’s car, court told

A 6-year-old boy who went missing during a Sunday School service at Ushindi Baptist Church in Likoni, Mombasa in 2018, was found dead inside a bishop’s car, a court was told on Wednesday, December 7.

While appearing before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku, Emmanuel Wekesa’s mother stated that her son’s body was found lying in the back seat of Bishop Joseph Maisha’s vehicle, which had been parked within the church compound for two days.

Joyce Wasike told the court that her son went missing on February 24, 2018.

The following morning, she went to church to continue with the search for her son and met Bishop Maisha who enquired about what she was doing in the church.

“The following day on February 25, 2018, l went to the church in efforts to trace my son within the church compound, while sitting inside the church Bishop Maisha came and enquired on why l was seated inside the church,” she said.

Moments later, she was called by another pastor who began praying for her.

Amid the prayers, she saw several police officers in the church compound in the company of some officials of the church who broke the news to her that the minor had been found dead.

“As the prayer session was ongoing l saw several police officers and church administrators, my son had been found dead inside the car which had been parked within the church compound. The car had been parked there all along while l was searching for my son,” she told the court.

A postmortem report tabled in court indicates that Wekesa’s death was a result of multiple organ failure caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain (asphyxia).

The postmortem was conducted at the Coast General Hospital on February 26, 2018, by Doctor Thabit Swaleh who in his findings established that both lungs were “congested with the left one being more congested than the right one.”

The boy’s brain showed features of early decomposition and vascular congestion, according to the autopsy report.

On his part, the father to the deceased, Richard Wasike painfully narrated to the court how he had been accused by members of his immediate family of offering his son as a sacrifice in the said church.

“I just want to know the truth, l want justice for my son, l have been shunned away from home and l cannot be allowed to step foot in my home upcountry since the death of my son they believe l offered my son as a sacrifice,” the teary father narrated.

He said his son went missing during a Sunday School service at the church on February 24, 2018, until the following day when his body was found inside a motor vehicle registration number KBH 379N which belonged to Bishop Maisha.

The hearing will continue on March 23, 2023.

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