The aftermath: Without Jehovah Wanyonyi, his followers are like lost ‘sheep’

When you visit Chemororoch village in Uasin Gishu, you will find a gold-coloured padlock dangling on the door of the ‘sacred house’ lying between two iron-roofed mud houses.

The homestead is punctuated with five semi-permanent houses.

A red flag is raised on a wooded pole and beneath it is an old table covered with a red cloth with a sword. These are sacred instruments of power.

There is also a red and white altar (madhabahu ya Musa) erected inside a rectangular fence of wire mesh with four projections at every corner. It is here that important sacrifices to “redeem the world” are made occasionally, according to Eliab Masinde, a spokesperson of the ‘Lost Israelites of Kenya.’

But the Lost Israelites of Kenya are ‘lost’ because Jehovah Wanyonyi, their only and living god lives no more. He is dead. But not to his followers.

“We have not received new information about mungu mwenye enzi Jehova Wanyonyi since he was taken ill. It is you people who are telling us a burial permit was issued by the administration. I will share the information with our followers who have been anxious,” said Masinde who is among the four key priests or makuhani of the sect.

But it appears no one – not even his followers – knew the real name of the self-proclaimed god Jehovah Wanyonyi, whose death has sparked controversy.

He was officially identified as Michael Mumboyi, according to records at Kapsomba Location Chief’s Office, where Jehova’s kinsmen were granted a permit to allow the transfer of his body from Mobet sub-location to Cherangany Nursing Home in Kitale.

“You can clearly see the body of 80-year old Michael Mumboyi was booked in on July 18, but was taken away at 7.20am on July 19. We did not know he was Jehova, but Mobet Assistant Chief who came with the deceased kinsmen said he was the one,” said an insider at the mortuary who sought anonymity.

“We cannot establish where the body was taken for burial, but in the records, we indicated the body was transferred to Mobet. The assistant chief took some records to prove the deceased person was the one he identified as Jehova,” said the source.

Eldoret West Sub-County Commissioner Christopher Wanjau told The Nairobian he had authorised Mobet Location Assistant Chief Paul Bett and Kapsomba Chief Daniel Busienei to issue the permit authorising transfer of the deceased to Kitale.

“According to official records, a permit to move the body was issued on July 19. Mumboyi was ailing and his family reported he had died. It is however unclear where he was buried, though the body wasn’t taken back to his Soy home,” he said.

Bett confirmed he was requested by Jehova’s son Nicholas Nyongesa for a permit to allow official booking of their father’s body to the nursing home on July 19. At the nursing home, the body was booked in by William Waswa, a relative.

Jehova Wanyonyi hit the headlines when he claimed to be ‘god’ in the Kitale area in 1960s.