Minor’s body lay in cleric’s car for two days, inquest told

A minor’s body lay inside a bishop’s vehicle for two days as his worried parents frantically searched for him, an inquest into his death was told yesterday.

The inquest was told that the body of six-year-old, Emmanuel Wekesa, was found in the vehicle belonging to bishop Joseph Maisha which was parked within the compound of Ushindi Baptist Church in Likoni, Mombasa county in February 2018. 

Wekesa went  missing during a Sunday school service at the church on February 25, 2018  and his body was found the following day inside the motor vehicle registration number KBH 379N which belonged to bishop Maisha.

The minor’s mother, Joyce Wasike told Mombasa Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku that her son’s body was discovered on the rear seat of the bishop’s vehicle after two days.

She told the inquest that on the material day, she had gone to the church in a desperate search of the missing minor, only to bump into the bishop.

“On February 25, 2018, l went to the church to look for my son in the compound. While seated inside the church, Bishop Maisha approached me, enquiring why l was seated inside the church,” she told the inquest. Wasike informed the court that moments later, she was called by another pastor who immediately started praying for her.

“As the prayer session was ongoing, l saw several police officers and church administrators (within the compound). 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 inquest.

A postmortem report tabled in court indicated that Wekesa died as a result of consistent multiple organ failure caused by asphyxia.

Autopsy was conducted at the Coast General Hospital on February 26, 2018 by pathologist, Dr Thabit Swaleh who in his findings further established that both lungs were congested while his brain showed features of early decomposition and vascular congestion.

The minor’s father, Richard Wasike painfully recounted how he was accused by members of his immediate family of offering his own son to the church as a sacrifice.

“I just want to know the truth, l want justice for my son, l have been shunned. I cannot be allowed to step foot in my upcountry home since the death of my son (because) they believe l offered my son as a sacrifice,” he told the inquest, fighting back tears.

“The vehicle where my son’s body was found is that of our bishop. l was informed of his death by a senior pastor at the church who told me my son had been found dead inside the bishop’s car,” he said.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji ordered the inquest file to be opened to establish the cause of his death because investigations indicated that there was no conclusive evidence to charge Bishop Maisha with murder.

The inquest will continue on March 23 next year.