Many city-based churches have had to employ additional security – besides asking members to watch out for thieves masquerading as worshippers during services.
The thieves have formed the tendency of walking into churches, especially in Nairobi on Saturday or Sunday – pretending to be active worshippers. Yet — their real intention is to snatch handbags, mobile phones, bibles, hymnals before walking out.
Activities like fundraisers and other forms of church collections have to be done carefully. The amounts collected are not announced until the next service, once the money is sitting safely at the bank.
An elder at a Church in Nairobi, Embakasi, a local news medium that there had been cases of theft in their church – and many other churches.
Said he: “Thieves are no longer ashamed of their sinful acts, and that’s why they will easily sneak into a church, where people are worshipping God, and then proceed to steal.
“Instead of coming to church to seek salvation, they are coming to steal and condemn themselves”.
In one of the recent cases, a congregant was left without his phone after he gave it out to a woman who had asked for help to call a relative – as she had an emergency.
Said Elder Dan: “The woman stepped out as if to make a phone call, and never came back to date”.
He added that they always ask members to ‘know’ the person sitting next to them during services, because you never know their real intention.
Stated he: “Anytime we have worship service, our ushers receive reports of lost bibles, phone, hymnals, water bottles, shawls, clothes, and purses in some cases.
“Interestingly, some of these things are never recovered, this is even after we make announcements at the pulpit about the lost items”.
He said that some of the thieves could be their own members.
Said the Elder: “Our ushers help a lot with security during prayers”.
He added that there was this one moment when they had to throw suspicious individuals out of the church.
Mercy Nyaboke, a mother of three, and who worships in Nairobi, also said theft cases were rampant in churches.
Said she: “As a parent I am always conscious because there are people who think that churches are the best places to steal since people are so trusting and loving.
“I am very careful whenever I am in church. I make sure I zip by handbag, and keep my phone safely because some people will steal when your eyes are closed in prayer, but we continue to pray for them”.
Many churches are now investing in CCTV equipment in an attempt to mitigate the problem.
A number of Churches in Kenya often contract uniformed security officers – and guards to help safeguard the places of worship. But these always sit outside the church, when some of the theft happen right inside during prayers.
The practice started following a terror attack at the Joy in Christ church in Mombasa in 2014 – that left four people dead and several injured.
It would later gain momentum following the 2015 terror attack at the Garissa University that left 150 dead. The attack led to heightened security in public places like supermarkets, public buildings, schools and churches.
However, Elder Dan said many churches were struggling financially, and therefore were unable to pay for such services.
