A YouTuber and a preacher are facing cyberbullying charges at the Makadara Law Courts after a viral online interview in which shocking allegations of human sacrifice and exploitation were levelled against Jesus Winners Church.

Gospel artist and YouTuber Mathew Mwangi Gitonga and preacher Grace Wangui Ndinguri appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Paul Rotich where they both pleaded not guilty.

The charges stem from an interview hosted on Gitonga’s channel Ruco Mwangi Revival Kenya on August 28. During the session, Wangui described Jesus Winners Church, led by Bishop Edward Mwai, as “a cult in the making.”

She went further, naming two other prominent Nairobi churches, and accused them of brainwashing and sacrificing followers after confiscating wealth and properties.

Prosecutors told the court that Gitonga, “without lawful excuse,” uploaded and distributed a video that was “indecent, grossly offensive, and harmful” to Jesus Winners Church. Both Gitonga and Wangui now face charges of cyber harassment under section 27 (1) (a), (b), and (c) of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018). 

Boniface Maina Iregi, the chairman of the board of Jesus Winners church, said he stumbled upon the two-hour video. He reported the matter to authorities in Kasarani claiming that Bishop Mwai had been falsely portrayed as a man who stripped congregants of their wealth and sacrificed them.

According to police, Wangui alleged that “so many people have lost their lives in that church,” and further labelled Bishop Mwai “a bad and evil person.” Investigations began immediately after the complaint was filed.

Gitonga was arrested in Nakuru on August 30, two days after uploading the interview. Wangui was separately summoned, recorded a statement, and was later released on cash bail.

In her statement to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Wangui identified herself as a “Christ Ambassador” with a “gift of prophecy and intercession.”

She accused the government of neglecting its duty to regulate rogue religious organisations, some of which, she claimed, engage in financial exploitation, sexual abuse, and even ritual sacrifices.

“I was forced to step in and do the Lord’s work of pacifying gullible members of the public from predatory churches and church leaders that are exploiting members sexually and financially,” she said.

Meanwhile, Kasarani DCI officers have formally written to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) requesting preservation of the contentious video to prevent Gitonga from deleting it and evading accountability.

The hearing of the case will begin on October 27. Both Gitonga and Wangui were granted release on a cash bail of Sh20,000 each.

Early this year, the church found itself in the spotlight after people protested outside its compound.

The protest was triggered by President William Ruto’s move on March 2, when he visited the church and announced his personal donation of Sh20 million, and promised to raise Sh100 million through a harambee.

It sparked outrage from dissatisfied Kenyans who criticised the clergyman for accepting such a donation from the President amidst austerity calls.