Founder of Jerusalem of Christ Church laid to rest in Kawangware

‘Prophetess’ Dorcus Mary Sinaida Akatsa, founder of the Jerusalem of Christ Church, was laid to rest in Kawangware on Saturday.

Over 1,000 congregants gathered at her home to pay their final respects.

According to the political leaders present, the decision to inter her in Kawangware was made to protect the land from individuals with ulterior motives.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who also serves as the family's lawyer, pledged his support to Akatsa’s sons, David Jogoo and Moses Sangolo, to ensure the security of her property.

Senator Sifuna recalled his encounters with the prophetess before he assumed the role of Senator for Nairobi and credited her prayers with helping him navigate challenges during his campaign.

“She visited my office, prayed for me, and shared her own struggles. She always ensured that my flight tickets from Nairobi to Kakamega were covered until I was able to manage it myself,” Mr Sifuna explained.

However, following the 2022 elections, some individuals targeted the ‘prophetess’, attempting to seize her properties in Nairobi and beyond.

Mr Sifuna remarked that prior to her passing, they had been to court twice, and that she had entrusted the legal case to her youngest son.

“She called me that day and said, ‘You have been my guide, now hand the case over to the young man’. She asked me to oversee the case from a distance, and in honour of her wish, I assure you all that Sifuna will always support Mami's family and protect the land that God blessed her with,” the senator emphasized.

He encouraged the congregation to select a new leader to assume the role of the ‘prophetess’ and to promote unity among them.

“God has taken the one who brought our prayers to Him. Now we ask Him to provide us with another ‘prophet’,” Sifuna concluded.

Former Gatina Ward Representative David Ayoi highlighted past attempts by fraudsters to seize the Kawangware 56 land, where Akatsa established the Jerusaleum of Christ Church.

He stated that burying her body in the area would deter any intentions to take the land.

“She held my hand and said, 'They want to take my land away from me. They've taken others back home'. She sacrificed everything and managed all matters,” the former Area MCA recounted.

“Mami called me when plans to seize her land were underway, so I sought the help of Senator Sifuna. Burying her here in Kawangware is a way to safeguard this land,” Mr Ayoi emphasized.

“This land they are eyeing; we will inter her here to establish that it belongs to her. We will support her children and ensure the church continues,” he concluded.

Ms Veronica Marachi, who was among the 40 officers who attended and also introduced as a station commander, praised the church leader for uplifting her family.

She recounted how Akatsa ensured her family acquired a piece of land in western Kenya after they had faced marginalisation.

“Thank you, Mami. Our family endured stigma from many people. Now, I am a station commander, and we are living on the land Mami bought for us,” Ms Marachi stated, visibly moved.

Mary Sinaida Akatsa, popularly known as Sister Mary or Mami, was born in 1964 in Bunyore.

According to her family, she began school in 1967, but dropped out in Class Six at Etabalia Primary School.

She was married to the late Francis Akatsa. She has left behind two(2) sons--David Jogoo and Moses Sangolo.