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Two Pastors Set on Fire in Kenya

  • Religion Today Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated May 18, 2012

Last Tuesday, May 8, two pastors were burned to death in Mombasa, Kenya, Mission Network News reports. Yesterday, police arrested five suspects who may have instigated the crime, and they will be arraigned in court once investigations are complete. The two pastors, Benjamin Juma of Nyali Baptist Church and Jackson Kioko of Melchidizek Church, were planning to hold an evangelistic outreach in the Jomvu area of Mombasa, but while they were planning, a crowd gathered and suddenly accused them of being thieves. Without waiting for any confirmation of the supposed crimes, members of the crowd set the two pastors on fire. By the time the pastors' friends and families heard about what was happening, it was too late. New widow Mrs. Juma described the scene: "I don't know what they used, whether it was petrol or whatever else it might have been, but [after the fire] you could not see a thing [body parts] -- there were just charcoal-like bits [left]!" Although the majority of Kenyans adhere to some form of Christianity, Christians in the country have recently been under increased persecution and serious attacks, including bombings.