Police in Uasin Gishu have arrested a lay leader of a church over
accusations of sodomizing his son for the last two years, causing him bodily
harm.
Turbo Sub-County OCPD Patrick Wekesa confirmed that the church leader was
arrested following complaints from the son, who is a secondary school student.
“We have the lay leader in custody, and he is
being processed to be taken to court over the offence,” said Wekesa.
Wekesa said the victim is a Form 3 student at a
local school and has now been taken to a rescue centre for safety.
He added that the student had undergone medical
tests, which confirmed he had been sexually assaulted several times.
The police boss said the student, who is a day
scholar, was assaulted by his father at their home.
He noted that the school administration had
also reported possible sexual assault on the student, leading to investigations
that confirmed the suspicions.
“Officers were sent to arrest the lay leader,
and he will be charged in court with offences related to sexual assault,” said
Wekesa.
He explained that the boy, aged 19, will be
supported to continue his education away from home.
“For safety purposes, he will be kept away from
the home and supported to continue learning,” said the police boss.
Wekesa said investigations indicate that the
student had been assaulted for a long time, but the matter was kept secret by
locals who had suspected the abuse.
A lay leader is a
baptised, non-ordained member of the congregation, often called a lay minister,
who is licensed by the bishop to assist the clergy in various ministries.
Their duties typically include leading worship
services such as Morning and Evening Prayer, preaching, teaching, visiting the
sick, and engaging in community outreach, depending on their specific training
and license.
Lay leaders are volunteers called to serve by
responding to their baptismal vocation and are integral to the church’s mission
and community life.
