Kenya: Gang breaks and takes off with Catholic church offerings

Nairobi - An unknown gang reportedly broke into a Catholic church in Kenya and made off with offerings on Sunday night. According to Nairobi News, the incident took place on Sunday evening in Meru County, some 200km north east of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The gang attacked St Joseph Chuka Catholic Church around midnight, local time. Nuns at the convent suspected that it was an inside job. Sister Jacinta Gakii was quoted as saying that she had heard a big bang after the thieves broke a door into the convent around midnight, and that she screamed for help.

She said a second nun, who was responding to the distress call, was grabbed by the gang and ordered to take them to the priest’s house, where they made off with the day's offerings. It was estimated that the gang made away with about KES 16 000, collected during the day, Kenya County News reported.

Area Police Commander Beatrice Karaguri confirmed the incident and said that no one was injured. She noted that the incident must have been well planned because a window at the priest’s house was marked.

 In late December 2015, The Star reported that two people were arrested for allegedly breaking into a church and stealing a KES 6 500 offering in Nyangusu town, Kisii county. Police said that the "notorious thieves" also stole a generator, regulator, baptism cards, a radio, clothes and a bag of maize from the church.