"ALLEGATIONS OF SECRET BURIALS EMERGE AFTER RONGO CHURCH RAID"

Dozens of families are desperately searching for their missing relatives following a police raid on a controversial church in Rongo, Migori County, that led to the rescue of 57 people and the discovery of two bodies.

The raid, which took place on April 21, 2025, targeted the St Joseph Missions of Messiah in Africa Church, also known as Melkio Joseph Mission Messiah Church. Authorities say the church operated in secrecy for years, with followers living permanently within its enclosed compound.

Among those searching is George Adongo, whose sister disappeared in 2005 after joining the church along with other family members.

“I haven’t seen my sisters since they left home. My mother died under unclear circumstances a few years later,” said Adongo outside the Rongo Police Station, where relatives of former church members have gathered to find answers.

Police say 57 individuals were rescued from the church’s premises, which have since been declared a restricted area. The compound is also believed to contain several burial sites, raising concerns about possible secret burials.

The church’s leader, who identifies herself as Halleluhya, denied allegations of illegal practices or concealment of deaths.

“We follow both God’s law and the laws of the land,” she said. “We never bury members without informing the family. All burials are reported to the area assistant chief.”

The church has been in operation since the 1970s and maintains a communal lifestyle. Members farm, cook, and rear livestock within the compound. Followers are not allowed to return home after joining, and even their dead are buried within the premises.

John Okello, a Rongo resident, said his ex-wife joined the church in 2010 and took two of their children with her.

“She just left and never came back. I later discovered our daughter had died and was buried inside the church. I never even got to say goodbye,” Okello said.

Another family, led by Isaac Nyachieo, is seeking custody of their late brother’s children after he died while living at the church. The family was blocked from retrieving his body by worshippers on Sunday.

The compound also includes shrines and altars dedicated to church figures such as Simeo Ondetto and Mama Maria. Images of Jesus and other saints are placed beneath them, contrary to mainstream Christian practices.

The discovery of a GSU officer’s body two weeks ago, believed to have been buried under unclear circumstances, has intensified public scrutiny and triggered ongoing investigations.

Authorities have not confirmed how many people are still unaccounted for, but families continue to gather at Rongo Police Station in hopes of reconnecting with their loved ones.