This archive report was first published on 4 January 2022.
On a Sunday, a group of 20 young men, who identified themselves as hardcore criminals, walked into Jerusalem Church of Christ in Kawangware, Nairobi, seeking redemption. The men, aged between 18 and 35, claimed to have been involved in crime for many years, but had now decided to turn their lives around.
According to the men, they had been driven to a life of crime due to the tough economic times and joblessness. One of them, from Congo in Kawangware, revealed that he had joined crime after six of his friends were gunned down by the police. He said he had been a hardcore criminal for the last six years, killing many people in the process, but had decided to change after losing his friends.
Another self-confessed criminal, Alex Ndunda, claimed that he had been contracted to kill the church leader, Mary Akatsa, but had pulled out along the way. He said he had decided to turn to God after five of his friends were killed by the police during a botched robbery in Karen, Nairobi.
Church leader Mary Akatsa, also known as Mama Africa, welcomed the men and promised to help them start a new life. She said she would not take them to the police station, as they had chosen to repent their sins publicly and receive Jesus Christ as their savior. Akatsa promised to help the unemployed men get jobs and start businesses, and even offered to buy them motorbikes to do boda boda business.
She warned the youth against allowing politicians to use them to cause mayhem as the country heads into an election. Akatsa said she would use her connections to help them gain employment and start a new life.
Published on January 4, 2022, at 13:36:58 UTC.
