By Willis Oketch and Patrick Beja
Security has been stepped up at churches in Mombasa town following grenade attacks on worshippers three months ago and Sunday’s carnage in Garissa.
The Standard established Sunday that worshippers are screened for weapons and metal components through a physical shake down and metal detectors before entering church.
There is elaborate security at the main Catholic Holy Ghost Cathedral Church and Anglican Memorial Cathedral Church, which have reported fears of terrorist attacks.
Last month, Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Boniface Lele disclosed that many worshippers were shunning congregating for worship for fear of attack.
“We have deployed security officers in churches, particularly on Sunday and there should be no cause for alarm,” said Coast PPO Aggrey Adoli Sunday.
The Catholic Church introduced the checks on June 24, only hours before a grenade attack in Jericho Beer Garden in Mishomoroni killed three people.
On that day, church officials had reported suspicious visitors into their compound to the police and introduced metal detectors.
Last week, Father Joachim Minja reported to the police about a car with three occupants of suspicious characters who drove into the church’s compound on Friday and Sunday without disembarking.
“We had to report to the police about the strangers who were not members of the church,” said Minja.
Mr Adoli asked Kenyans to demand to be scanned before joining a gathering.
A church elder, Major (rtd) Moses Waweru, said the church decided to screen those entering the compound to ensure security of members.
