Mombasa churches rise above scars of terror

On the Sunday of March 23, 2013, while a pastor was almost done with teachings of the first service, two gunmen masquerading as worshippers opened fire at Joy In Jesus church in Likoni, killing six and injuring more than a dozen.

The shooting transformed the church into a scene of death as blood splattered on the floor. Worshippers laid on the floor to play dead to avoid the attacker’s bullets.

One attacker constantly fired at the altar, miraculously missing the preacher many times and with bullets hitting the wall. But the preacher was shot near the door as he attempted to escape.

What followed was wails, commotion and panic as neighbours responded to the gunshots by rushing to the scene.

It came amid a tense atmosphere of religious tensions that hung in the Coastal city as the government launched a crackdown on terrorism.

Security agencies had raided mosques and arrested radical Muslim clerics whose activities had been linked to bombs and fatal attacks in the city.

Targeted, terror operatives and radical youths turned their frustrations on churches, an unprecedented move that cracked the bonds of peace that had existed between Christians and Muslims in the port city for years.

The Star visited three churches where terrorists launched attacks, finding out how they conquered the fear and death to continue preaching the gospel.

'HORROR MOVIE'

Pastor Willis Omondi, founder and main pastor of Joy In Jesus church, likens the nightmare to scenes from a scary film.

“It was like a horror movie. Many people trooped here to help and witness after they heard the sound of the machine gun,” he said.

When the assassins were done, two congregants lay dead and more than 20 injured.

His wife, like other congregants, survived by hiding under seats to escape flying bullets as the gunman shot indiscriminately.

The first service was almost concluding to give way to the main service, which Omondi would officiate. The shooting happened minutes before he arrived at the church.

“We shall never fear,” he said during an interview at the church. “I got more power, strength and hope. It made me believe more in my God.”

He said many members fled after the attack and the numbers plummeted from 200 to a few dozens.

Among the current members now, only two remained after the attack, his wife and another woman. New members have since joined but evidently, it may take more time before going back to its initial population.

“We are resilient. We’ve got to move on no matter what,” he said.

“God created me and appointed me. Whether people are there or not, I have to continue. Nobody can stop it and I will do it for the rest of my life. Serving God is in my heart.”

Unshaken, the church opened two other branches in Likoni and Kisauni after the attack.

The father of seven is a trained security intelligence expert and has worked at security management positions in various business entities at the Coast.

At one of the beach hotels, he was trained in anti-terrorism matters by the US Marines and the British Navy.

He has also trained on disaster and fraud management and also received training from the National Intelligence Service.

“If I get an opportunity or any opening on that line, i can do consultancy works,” he said.

One of his favourite Bible verse is Isaiah 54:17: "No weapon that is forged against you will be effective. This is the heritage of the Lord's servants and their righteousness from me," says the Lord.

He also quotes Joshua 1:6: "Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them."

PEACE MEETINGS

In Majengo, Salvation Army stands metres away from the Masjid Musa, a mosque seen as the epicentre of Mombasa’s terror war and whose Imams were felled by the state.

On October 3, 2013, the church was set on fire by youths protesting the killing of Sheikh Ibrahim Omar, a prominent Muslim cleric who had taken over the leadership of Masjid Musa from Sheikh Aboud Rogo.

Rogo himself had been gunned down in a hail of bullets in August 2012 amid accusations of engaging in terrorism activities.

The protests left four people dead and more than eight injured.

The torching of the church came one year after a similar attack, where radical youths doused petrol and set it on fire.

The church lies between Masjid Musa and Masjid Sakina, whose moderate chairman Mohammed Idris was shot dead by gunmen days after he expressed fears for his life following the takeover of the mosque by radical youths.

New white painting at the church covers black soot, the aftermath of the fire, and projects an air of hope and peace.

While leaders who steered the church during the attacks have since left, current chief priest at the church Maj Moses Visibwa said persecution brought a new dimension of ministry.

He said despite the attacks, the church's numbers have increased over time.

“We have tried to co-exist in peace by holding meetings with leaders of mosques with the help of NGOs and it has helped,” he said as the Star caught up with him during a brief break on Sunday service.

Visibwa said the meetings have helped the church improve its friendship with the local community, who are predominantly Muslims.

While the wave of terrorism has since gone down, the church regularly has security officers to keep members safe and monitor suspicious characters.

“Paul himself was persecuted, so we decided to soldier on. We are now more strengthened and members have grown spiritually,” he said.

IMPROVED SECURITY

At St Paul’s ACK Church in Ukunda, assailants killed two police officers guarding the church in September 2017 and escaped with their guns.

The assailants drove to the church using a motorbike during the second and most attended service.

They shot at the two police officers at the church entrance, killing one on the spot while the other died while receiving treatment.

Rev Chrispus Ngowa said one church member, a woman, broke her leg as she attempted to climb over a wall to escape the attack as gunshots grew louder, disrupting the service.

“Members said it is better to die in the church than to die elsewhere, so they didn’t leave the church,” Ngowa, who witnessed the attack and is still the church leader, says.

He said save for the coronavirus pandemic disruptions, the church members have steadily grown, as evidenced by three services every Sunday.

Some members who had left the church after the attack have since returned and the church is moving on well, Ngowa added.

After the attack, the church installed CCTV cameras, alarm systems and procured the services of private security guards.

“We are moving on well and we are strong,” Ngowa said.

The two police officers were in the church as part of interventions by church leaders to hire armed policemen to guard members in major services at the height of radical currents in Coast.

Authorities linked the church attack to al Shabaab returnees, most of whom remain in Kwale county to date, according to police sources.

In the recent past, an anti-terror police outfit has neutralised several suspected al shabaab operatives in parts of Kwale.

The church leaders said closing churches would be giving the enemy victory.

Like the Bibilical persecution of the early church, the leaders of the affected churches stayed put, conquering fear and death.

Edited by Jalio