Eight mentally ill individuals were rescued from deplorable conditions within the Holy Ghost Coptic Church of Kenya in Kisumu, following an impromptu visit by a Senate Ad hoc Committee investigating the burgeoning number of religious organisations in Kenya. The committee, under the leadership of Senator Shakil Abdalla, acted upon information provided in a meeting with the county's Intelligence Security Team.

The Kisumu-based Coptic Church presided over by John Pesa, a former Catholic priest, has been alleged to claim the power to exorcise demons and treat mental disorders through prayer. According to the committee's findings, individuals grappling with a range of issues, including mental health problems, drug addiction, land disputes and marital conflicts, were purportedly being held against their will within the church premises. The inhabitants suffered dire conditions, including unhygienic environments, insufficient nourishment and, on occasion, going without meals.

The victims, found in squalid cells, chained and locked up, were immediately moved to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital for urgent medical attention and psychological counselling. The Senate committee has expressed concerns that more patients may still be imprisoned within the church, urging the security team to obtain the necessary warrants to conduct a comprehensive search of the premises.

"The church is operating illegally, detaining these vulnerable individuals under the pretence of prayerful healing," the committee stressed, pointing out that the church lacks the requisite permits for the care and treatment of patients.

John Pesa was instructed to release all patients in the church's custody, with the committee reiterating, "No church is allowed to detain or hold patients under the pretence of healing them through prayer."

During his presentation to the committee, Pesa denied any allegations of wrongful confinement, insisting that all admissions were made with the full consent of the patients' parents or guardians. Despite this, he assured the committee that, henceforth, no individual with similar challenges would be admitted, marking the end of this practice at the church.

The evacuation of patients was not without difficulty, as security officers and Kenya Red Cross personnel struggled to convince some patients to board the ambulance. Those who were eventually freed appeared frail, malnourished and in desperate need of medical assistance. They were kept in dismal cells, with a bucket for sanitation, a single meal per day and only permitted out of their cells on Sundays for worship and Mondays for manual work within the church, including bathing just once a week.

The committee has guaranteed that the Ministry of Health will cover all medical expenses incurred by the victims until they are healthy enough to be reunited with their families.

In a bid to curb such incidents, the committee has called upon all Kenyans to be vigilant, urging them to report any religious organisation found engaging in similar malpractices. This, they believe, will aid in the timely rescue and subsequent assistance to any victims.

Senator Shakil Abdalla was joined in this operation by fellow Senators Wafula Wakoli, Hamida Kibwana, and Veronicah Maina. The Kisumu County team was headed by Acting Commissioner Hussein Hussein