Kilifi’s New Foundation Church Pastor Abel Kahindi Gandi Arrested Over Tree-Climbing Ritual
Abel Kahindi Gandi, a pastor of the New Foundation Church in Chakama, Magarini Constituency, Kilifi County, has been arrested in connection with a series of tragic deaths involving members of his congregation.
The deaths followed a controversial and shocking ritual in which participants were encouraged to climb a so-called “Tree of Life” in the belief that it would heal them and provide spiritual freedom. The arrest has sent shockwaves through the community and raised serious questions about the practices of the church.
Kilifi North Deputy County Commissioner Samuel Mutisya confirmed the arrest, revealing the disturbing nature of the ritual.
According to Mutisya, the pastor instructed members of his congregation to climb the Tree of Life, claiming that it could heal physical ailments, cleanse the spirit, and deliver participants from life’s hardships, such as poverty and illness. However, what followed has sparked widespread concern.
After interrogating the pastor, authorities were horrified to discover that Gandi conducted his ministry without any reference to the Bible. Instead, he placed his entire faith in the Tree of Life, a belief system that involved the physical act of climbing the tree as a means of spiritual cleansing.
“The believers who come here are possessed, and they believe that if they climb the tree, they get healed,” Mutisya revealed. This chilling assertion of possession and spiritual transformation through an unnatural ritual has only added to the shock surrounding the case.
Gandi, in his defense, argued that the act of descending from the tree represented a form of spiritual liberation and deliverance. He claimed that the tree was a vessel of divine intervention, offering healing from ailments and release from life’s burdens. “When they climb the tree, the spirits leave them,” Gandi asserted, defending the practice as a form of divine intervention. His explanation, however, has done little to quell the growing concerns surrounding the deaths of church members.
The situation took a darker turn when reports from the community revealed that several individuals who participated in the ritual had died.
These fatalities prompted authorities to take immediate action, with Mutisya ordering the closure of the church and the pastor’s arrest.
Gandi, however, continues to deny any wrongdoing, vehemently rejecting the accusations. “These allegations are false. I have not killed anyone. I do work as God has instructed me,” he insisted. He went on to explain that one of the deaths involved a church member who passed away before he even arrived at the church, claiming that he was in Malindi at the time.
Despite Gandi’s protests, the community remains deeply shaken by the reported deaths, with many now questioning the authenticity of his claims and the true nature of his ministry.
His insistence that participants were “possessed” and that the tree offered a form of spiritual healing only serves to deepen the mystery and horror surrounding the incident.
This case echoes another alarming incident that occurred just days earlier in Rongo, Migori County, where police officers from the St. Joseph Mission of Africa Church in Kochola Village rescued 57 people who had been locked inside a church building on April 21.
In a separate but equally disturbing development, the Kamagambo Police Station in Migori County reported the discovery of a lifeless body inside a prayer room at the church on April 20.
The body, which was wrapped in a white robe and a grey sheet, showed signs of severe trauma, with foam oozing from the mouth. Another body was later found on the premises, raising further concerns about the practices occurring at the church.
Both cases highlight the disturbing trend of religious leaders using extreme and unorthodox methods to control their congregations, often at the cost of human life. The link between these incidents underscores the dangerous potential of such rituals when left unchecked, and has led many to call for a deeper investigation into the practices of these religious organizations.
As authorities continue their investigations into the deaths, the case of Pastor Gandi and the New Foundation Church has raised profound questions about the boundaries of faith, the potential for exploitation under the guise of religion, and the need for greater oversight of unconventional religious practices.
With Gandi now in police custody and the church shuttered, the community remains in shock, grappling with the tragic consequences of a belief system that promised salvation but delivered death.
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Kilifi’s New Foundation Church Pastor Abel Kahindi Gandi Arrested Over Tree-Climbing Ritual
