Ruiru was plunged into chaos on the morning of Sunday, March 2, as irate residents demanded justice against a clergyman accused of abusing young boys.
Tens of members of the public gathered outside Christ Impact Church threatening to destroy the building if the pastor in question failed to appear.
Photos and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show residents tearing down the church with some declaring they did not want the pastor to remain in their community.
Authorities arrived at the scene to attempt to quell the volatile situation, but the mob would not budge, prompting police to use teargas to attempt to disperse the crowd.
However, this only fueled tensions further, and running battles ensued which ran for a better part of Sunday morning.
Residents at the scene who spoke to the media were adamant the pastor attached to the church was an impostor who took advantage of one of his congregants – a young boy.
Amid running battles with police, some residents accused the officers of not only protecting the suspect but also using the chaos as an opportunity to gain access to building materials from the church.
For a better part of Sunday morning, shops and businesses around Christ Impact church remained closed as owners feared losses in case the situation escalated further.
As of the publication of this article, the pastor remained at large, with unconfirmed reports indicating he was in hiding in the Kasarani area.
This was the second high-profile mayhem inside a church this weekend after the California Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Nakuru West congregants witnessed a sensational brawl on Saturday.
The congregants, including church elders, engaged in a physical exchange of blows inside the sanctuary as women and children watched in horror.
According to reports, tensions had been simmering at the church for weeks, with some of the congregants demanding more accountability from the pastor, leading to the climax witnessed on Saturday.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE