Seven students suspended over Illuminati allegations

Entrance to St Gabriel’s Mirere Secondary school where seven students were suspended a month ago for allegedly associating with an 'Illuminati' cult. [Brian Kisanji/Standard]

There is controversy surrounding how one school in Matungu Sub -County suspended seven of its students over allegations that they were members of a satanic cult.

The students at St Gabriel’s Mirere Secondary school were suspended a month ago by the school management after what the school termed as associating with an 'Illuminati' cult.

According to the school, one of the students, Peter (not his real name) had a neck chain with a pendulum that according to one of the teachers it was satanic.

Peter was summoned by the school's deputy principal and it was reported that he confessed of being a devil worshiper and named the other six he had recruited and initiated into the cult.

Some of the suspended students interviewed by the Standard, said they have never associated with any form of satanic worshipping.

The school alleged that Peter the main suspect was the one recruiting and initiating other students into the cult a notion that he denied.

According to Peter he had picked the chain on the road and seeing it was fashionable he donned.

The chain was later shared among the students.

“I would share the said chain with some of my friends and later rumours started that the chain had symbols associated with devil-worshipping,” said Peter.

Another student James (not his real name) said he was suspended simply because he took a photo while posing with two fingers up sign.

The school interpreted the sign as devilish thus sent him for prayers before reporting back.

“I was surprised that a photo I took with a simple swag posture ended up been interpreted that I was worshipping Satan,” said James.

The school also alleged that some of the students who are boarding at the school had reported that they would see the accused seven in their dreams trying to initiate them into the cult.

The seven students were told to stay away from the school until they were cleansed by one of the Catholic Church priests the school recommended.

The photos and the chain were confiscated by the school deputy principal.

The parents to the students tried to follow up from the school management but were instructed to adhere to the terms given earlier that their children to have the devil exorcised from them.

They complied and went to undergo special prayers from one of the catholic priest based in Bungoma County.

From what they thought would be a one-day event turned to be a daily journey as they were forced to go back severally times until they are given a clean bill of pass by the Catholic Church.

Some of the students are this year’s form four candidates and missed sitting for the examination of the just-concluded second term.

The parents lamented that they are struggling to pay school fees yet their children are forced to stay at home suspended for a petty and untrue offence.

 “We don’t know what will happen to our children who have missed so much in the one month they have been home and our efforts to have the school to listen to our plight has gone unanswered,” said one of the parents.

They have tried severally to go back to school but were denied entry in the school and further instructed to seek more prayers.

"I don't know want the school wants from us, should we put stones in a bag and tell them it’s the devil that was in our children?” added another parent.

Contacted, the school Principal Kennedy Anyambu acknowledged that they had sent seven students home for special prayers after they confessed for been devil worshipers.

Anyambu said the matter would be handled by the Catholic Church leadership which is the school's sponsor.

He added that the Board of Management would meet next week and deliberate on the seven students case.

The matter by Thursday (yesterday) had not reached the Matungu Sub-county education office