Worshippers at Gatuto ACK Church in Kanyeki-ini Ward, Kirinyaga Central, had a difficult Sunday service after thieves broke into the church and made off with sound equipment worth more than Ksh500,000.
The theft occurred on Saturday, August 8, when unknown people forced their way into the church compound by breaking the gate before entering the building through a window and an inner door. They escaped with speakers, a bass speaker, a mixer amplifier, a receiver with four microphones, a keyboard and connecting cables.
The break-in was discovered by church worker Lucy Wachira, who arrived to clean the sanctuary ahead of Sunday’s service and noticed signs of forced entry.
“When I arrived, I noticed the sound boxes were empty. As I went around the church, I saw the window they had broken to gain entry,” Wachira said.
James Macharia, the church’s sound technician, confirmed the extent of the loss, noting that most of the stolen equipment had been recently purchased through congregation contributions.
“They managed to get away with three mid-range speakers, one bass speaker, a mixer amplifier, a receiver with its four microphones, a keyboard and cables,” Macharia said.
Without the sound system, the congregation was forced to rely on raised voices to sing and follow the sermon. Church People’s Warden Stephen Munene said the incident had disrupted normal worship, though the service still proceeded as planned.
Munene revealed that this was not the first time the church had fallen victim to theft, noting that criminals had previously stolen the church gate, a water tank and taps in separate incidents.
“It is sad that people have now turned to stealing from the house of God. We shall pray, but we are also appealing to security officers to enhance patrols in this area,” he said.
The incident adds to a growing pattern of break-ins targeting churches in Kirinyaga County, with other congregations in the region having previously reported losses exceeding Ksh1 million from similar thefts. Insecurity around religious institutions has also been reported elsewhere in the country, including a recent attack on a Nairobi cathedral that led to multiple arrests.
Church leaders have since reported the matter to police, who have launched investigations to identify the suspects and recover the stolen property. Worshippers in the area are now calling on authorities to boost security around churches to prevent further incidents.
