Police Supervised Demolition of a Church Over Land Dispute
By Simon Mwalimu Cephas
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Jesus Touch the World Church Mwembe Tayari Mombasa was demolished under the strict supervision of police officers.
Amos Mali, the church pastor, alleges the demolition occurred on Sunday midnight, January 26, 2025.
According to him Mali the action followed the building owner’s decision to sell the property to another party without notifying the tenants who had been operating there for over 20 years.
He stated that there was an ongoing court case in which they have sought an explanation for the demolition despite having a long-standing agreement to use the premises.
“We have been operating here for over 20 years, although we had been given notice which was not legitimate.
We took the matter to court and issued an order that the case be heard before any action could be taken.”
He expressed shock to witness its demolished without any proper resolution reached between the tenants and the owner.
The pastor claimed he received unconfirmed reports that the government intended to remove the church from the city center although he did not understand the reasoning behind it.
“There are claims that the government does not want this church to remain here, but I do not know why especially since the church has been there for over 20 years,” he said.
The church, according to him, was located on the top floor of the building near the Naivas shopping complex at the Mwembe Tayari area.
The demolition was done under heavy police presence with dozens of officers ensuring that no one could take photos or record videos due to their threats, he added.
“People who were here were completely forbidden from taking any pictures or videos to expose the injustice that occurred. The police made sure there was no evidence of the demolition,” he said.
The pastor disclosed that the church suffered significant property losses due to falling debris during the exercise.
