A former member of Prophet David Owuor's Kings Outreach Church on Wednesday, June 10 accused the ministry of employing threats and intimidation to silence critics of Owuor.
He spoke a day after two former members were arraigned in court in Bomet County before Senior Principal Magistrate Lilian Kiniale, and charged with incitement to violence.
The two, Gilbert Kipyegon and Pastor Paul Weronga, denied allegations that they circulated information meant to incite residents to torch the church in Bomet town.
Joseph Kinoti, a journalist and outspoken former member of the church, however, told Kenyans.co.ke that the church had been using police officers who are among its members to intimidate critics.
Kinoti claimed that those who spoke out against the church were contacted by individuals who threatened and harassed them online as well as in real life.
He claimed that among the membership of the church were numerous police officers, some of them high-ranking and in positions of influence.
Kinoti alleged that those who offered services to the church in one way or another, such as in media, were particularly targeted after leaving the church.
He claimed that other than sending threatening messages and targeting their social media accounts, emissaries could also be sent to warn the former member against speaking out on the church and its activities.
"There are a lot of officers who are members of the church, some of them are officers commanding stations, commissioners and more. These officers are the ones being used to bring cases against former members
"When you leave, and especially if you were helping in a certain department for example video and you start speaking out, they will target you.
"You get all sorts of threats and they try to take down social media accounts. But sometimes they actually send people to talk to you in person, to warn you not to continue talking about these issues or there will be consequences," he noted.
Critics of the church have accused it of being like a cult due to the stringent rules and expectations placed on church members.
In addition, they have claimed that publicized miracles by Prophet Owuor are a hoax and argued that he is capitalising on individuals suffering various diseases by offering them false hope.
"You know, it is easy for them to reach you because as a former member they know things about you, who you are and how they can reach you or the people they can send," Kinoti noted.
