A small, soot-blackened kitchen in Emenwa village, Nyamache, Kisii County, has become the unlikely centre of a growing religious spectacle, with hundreds of people arriving to see what they believe is an image of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, on a mud-walled house.
The sudden influx of visitors has transformed Mzee Charles Onsombi’s once-quiet homestead into an impromptu pilgrimage site, forcing the family to seek police intervention to manage the crowds.
People have travelled from different parts of the country, some convinced they have witnessed a supernatural sign, while others remain sceptical about what exactly appears on the wall.
Police officers from Nyamache Police Station, led by the Officer Commanding Station and the CIPU commander, visited the homestead after receiving reports of the alleged miraculous incident.
According to a police report, a large congregation of faithful from different religious denominations had gathered at the home to view the image. The officers found people singing and praying, while the image was reportedly visible on the wall.
Police said no incident or breach of peace had been reported and described the situation as calm, adding that the area was being monitored to maintain law and order.
At the centre of the controversy is the Onsombi family, which says the kitchen had never attracted attention before the alleged image appeared.
Mzee Onsombi, however, has offered a more cautious account of how the phenomenon began.
“It was my wife who saw something, and on scrutiny, maybe by mistake or she might have seen something like that, kwa akili yake akafikiria ni Maria,” he said.
That explanation has done little to stop the steady stream of visitors.
One witness said she travelled to the homestead after seeing photographs of the image.
“Siku ya Jumatatu saa moja asubuhi mimi nilikuja kwa hiyo boma na nikachukua picha, so niliona hiyo picha na nikaamini kwamba ni yeye,” the witness said.
Another visitor claimed to have seen the image during prayers.
“Hata tulikuja jioni Ijumaa tukamuona wakati walikuwa wanaabudu, akasema ‘mimi niko hapa’, tulimuona kwa macho yako,” the visitor said.
For some residents, the phenomenon represents a religious opportunity that should not be restricted. Others have urged authorities to help manage the crowds so that visitors can see the disputed image safely.
“People have come from Homa Bay without seeing it, people have come from Sirare without seeing it, people have come from South Mugirango in Osoro's area without seeing it,” one resident said, calling for the government to organise the crowds.
The sheer number of visitors has placed considerable pressure on the family.
“It has been quite hectic. I have not been able to take a shower or eat, running up and down trying to turn people away because there is nothing, but they can't understand. I just requested the police personnel to assist me,” Onsombi said.
Some visitors have resisted the restrictions.
“Sasa serikali wanatuzuia tusioni Mungu. Huyu ni mama ya Yesu amekuja hapa kwa hii boma, kwa nini hawataki tuone?” one resident asked.
But the story takes an unexpected turn in the age of artificial intelligence.
Onsombi claims that images circulating online have been digitally altered or enhanced using AI, making the alleged figure appear clearer and more dramatic than what is actually visible on the wall.
“When people started coming, taking photos and whatever... but what I can see on the internet is not what is here,” he said.
The controversy highlights a growing challenge in the digital era, where photographs and videos can be manipulated or enhanced within seconds and rapidly spread across social media, making it difficult to distinguish an unusual physical phenomenon from a digitally altered image.
For now, however, the debate remains unresolved.
