HOLY SCAM! Pastor Pays Ritualists Ksh 700,000 to “Supernaturally” Clear Debts in Divine Con Game

The hallowed halls of Milimani Law Courts witnessed a divine drama last week that would make even the most seasoned televangelists blush. Pastor Mark Ndinyo Khamala, a man of the cloth with impressive credentials from America, found himself on the witness stand confessing to the most unholy of sins – falling for a spiritual scam that drained his bank account of a whopping Ksh 700,000.

The good pastor, who leads the Grace Community Bible Church along Thika Road, cut a forlorn figure as he narrated his descent from divine calling to financial hell. Armed with a Master’s degree in Divinity from the United States, one would expect this shepherd to spot wolves in sheep’s clothing from miles away. But desperation, it seems, makes fools of even the most educated men of God.

It all began when Pastor Khamala returned to Kenya during the pandemic, his heart burning with evangelical fire and his pockets heavy with American dreams. His newly minted church boasted a modest congregation of 40 souls, but the pastor’s ambitions were grander than his reality. Enter the first set of con artists – smooth-talking land dealers from a company called Delerue who promised him prime real estate for his ministry expansion.

Like a lamb to slaughter, the trusting pastor borrowed Ksh 3 million, only to watch his dreams crumble when the land deal evaporated into thin air. Drowning in debt and desperate for divine intervention, Pastor Khamala became prime hunting ground for spiritual predators Anastacia Wanjiru Chege and Benjamin Jumainne Mageche.

These modern-day Pharisees approached the financially broken pastor with promises that would make even the most gullible believer raise an eyebrow. They claimed they could supernaturally erase his mountainous debts and transform his struggling church into a mega-ministry with thousands of followers. For a man watching his American dream turn into a Kenyan nightmare, their offer must have sounded like manna from heaven.

The desperate pastor, his judgment clouded by financial anxiety and spiritual vulnerability, handed over Ksh 700,000 – some in cold cash, the rest through mobile money transfers to Anastacia’s line. He might as well have thrown the money into the Indian Ocean, because that’s exactly where his investment disappeared.

Instead of miraculous debt cancellation and explosive church growth, Pastor Khamala’s situation spiraled further downward. When he finally mustered the courage to confront his supposed spiritual benefactors, they showed their true colors – turning hostile and issuing threats that were anything but Christian.

Under the intense scrutiny of defense lawyer Enock Ongiti’s cross-examination, the pastor vehemently denied the most salacious allegations. Claims that he had consulted witch doctors or traveled to Mombasa’s coastline to perform mysterious rituals in the Indian Ocean were met with passionate denials. “I am a man of faith. I never went to Mombasa to perform any ritual,” he declared, his voice trembling with what seemed like genuine indignation.

But the damage was already done. Here was a man who had crossed oceans to study theology, only to become prey to the very spiritual charlatans he should have been protecting his flock against. When pressed to explain exactly how these accused persons were supposed to resolve his debts, the pastor’s responses became as murky as the waters he allegedly never visited.

His admission that he was “clinging to what seemed like hope” painted a picture of a man so broken by circumstances that he abandoned all rational thinking. The prosecution’s revelation that the accused had promised to use “supernatural powers” to solve his problems only deepened the intrigue surrounding this unholy alliance.

As this divine drama continues to unfold in court, one can’t help but wonder how many other desperate souls have fallen victim to such spiritual scams. Pastor Khamala’s story serves as a cautionary tale that even those who preach about faith and wisdom can become victims when desperation clouds judgment.

The case continues, and Kenya watches with bated breath to see if justice will prevail in this most unusual tale of faith, greed, and supernatural promises gone horribly wrong.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​