Drama unfolded on the streets of Kayole on Monday after a section of American preachers were attacked by angry residents in during a crusade.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed angry residents hurling stones at the preachers, who form an international religious group, as they conducted a crusade.
The group was conducting the crusade under security from the police, seemingly aware of the risk that came with their preaching.
Reports indicated that the preachers’ sermons were centred around the “a Black Jesus” narrative, where they were reportedly evangelised that Jesus was Black, which caused the residents to become angry.
In the aftermath of the chaos, police were forced to lob tear gas canisters as the irate residents turned rowdy, with the preachers forced to flee the scene. The preachers had been doing the crusade together with their Kenyan counterparts, some of whom sustained injuries.
The attacks by the angry residents brought condemnation by members of the religious group led by their leader, who decried being attacked while preaching the word of God.
“If you look at this member, you can see where he was struck with a stone on his face and sustained injuries. All this because he was preaching the word of God, preaching that Jesus Christ is like them, black,” one of the group’s members lamented.
The group’s leader was more vocal, revealing that he had observed locals were against the notion that Jesus is black, highlighting the fierce rebuttal it has received over its preachings.
“We went to a church. We were preaching the word. As soon as the congregants heard that Jesus was black, they were infuriated,” the group’s leader narrated.
"We were just preaching the word. They got so mad, they were throwing rocks. Why? Because a lot of you in Kenya hate yourselves, hate the way you look, and hate anything black. Why? Because it upsets your European colonisers,” the leader added.
However, a deeper look into the history of the organization revealed that the group has a controversial past regarding their teachings. The group, founded in 2003, teaches that Black, Hispanic, and Native American people are the true descendants of the biblical Israelites.
Their teachings have attracted the condemnation of mainstream Christianity with their doctrine, particularly regarding white people as "Esau", which has led some to label them as extremists.
Further, the group reports show that the group has been involved in confrontations with their street teachings that have sparked conflicts with other religious groups and passersby.
