Faith, fear and allegations: Inside the dark side, complex legacy of Father John Pesa

At the peak of his career, the late founder of the Coptic Holy Ghost Church of Africa, Father John Pesa was in a league of his own. He was feared, commanded respect and bile in equal measure.

To his followers, however, he was a demigod. A fatherly figure who deserved all their energy and sacrifices.

Father Pesa stalked controversy for the better part of his preaching career, which was dominated by bizarre claims of alleged sacrifices, quotes from non-existent bible verses and a claim of bringing the dead back to life.

His feeble command of Kiswahili and English languages, which he mutilated frequently, was not a bottleneck as he built an empire of staunch followers.

He was the preacher of the political class who paid him visits at his church and left him gifts. Pesa was proud of the politicians paying patronage and would brag about the number of Heads of States who had visited his church.

However, upon his demise, all prominent political leaders turned their back on him and none posted a message of condolence as it is always the norm whenever a prominent clergy dies.

As his followers continued with preparations for his burial scheduled to take place within his church’s premises on June 20, 2026, only a few people have joined to mourn the departed controversial soul.

At his church located next to the Mamboleo roundabout, Pesa had built a legion of followers, bolstering a system based on faith, hope and fear. Here, his faithful bowed their heads in respect when addressing him while women hailed him as an icon.

Dark allegations

But beneath this demeanor, his track record as a preacher was clouded by dark claims and accusations of engaging in gross human rights abuses for detaining sick patients at his church.

A stroll in his church compound reveals disturbing pieces of architecture of rooms built akin to cells in prisons where the preacher would detain people claimed to have mental illnesses who were allegedly cured through prayer.

The cells have grilled windows to stop anyone from escaping, poorly lit and emits a nauseating staunch smell.

The patients lived life akin to prisoners in real jails. Their freedom was curtailed by chains. They were not allowed to access mobile phones and would only relieve themselves in buckets.

The prisoners were also subjected to whips by Pesa’s men whenever they were suspected of indiscipline. However, in a past interview with The Nairobian, the late preacher defended his actions and claimed that the patients had been brought to his church for prayers by their relatives.

He believed he was doing service to humanity and always claimed that God was using him to transform lives. At the facility, some of the patients being held for prayers were restrained using strong chains and were not allowed to leave their cubicles.

“Chaining of mentally ill patients started at the time of Jesus Christ. Mad people were chained to make them docile, but we chain them to make them less violent,” he said in the interview while defending himself over the inhumane treatment.

Final irony

But on his last days on earth, the preacher died at the hands of doctors at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. The man who discouraged his followers from seeking treatment and instead built cells to pray for them,  sought treatment at a health facility.

Adding another layer of the puzzle was his annual pilgrimage across Kisumu town with his flock of followers who jogged for several miles while chanting praises on him and to God.

The road show that always took place at the beginning of January was incomplete without heavy police protection and outriders.

The procession often coincided with renewed debate over the Mamboleo roundabout, an accident-prone stretch near the entrance of the church.

In August last year, 26 people died a few metres from the church when a school bus carrying mourners lost control and crashed.

Following the tragedy, unknown individuals vandalised the roundabout. The Kenya National Highways Authority later announced plans to redesign the stretch to improve safety.

Some residents, without presenting evidence, accused Pesa of being linked to the frequent accidents. He strongly rejected the allegations.

“Those who built the road failed to design it properly. I cannot cause accidents when I need followers to come and worship with us. People should stop being jealous and tarnishing another person’s name,” he said.

Pesa remained defiant throughout his life, dismissing criticism as an attempt to destroy his ministry. He maintained that he possessed divine powers.

Among his more extraordinary claims were that he had resurrected a dead woman and caused a tree to wither merely by looking at it after followers failed to cut it down as instructed.

During the 2022 General Election campaigns, Pesa attracted widespread ridicule when, during a visit to then Deputy President William Ruto’s home in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu County, he quoted a non-existent Bible verse and claimed that King Solomon had stoned Goliath to death.

Mourning period

And following his demise, faithfuls of the Coptic Holy Ghost Church of Africa have been thrown into a period of mourning.

Bishop Mathews Nyanjong’ shared their fond memories of a man he described as a relentless servant of God who was misunderstood by the masses that comprised his fierce critics.

According to the church, Father Pesa died in the hands of medical personnel at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.

“With very heavy hearts, we as the leadership of the Coptic Holy Ghost Church we want to announce that we accept the passing on of the spirit of our spiritual leader reverend Father John Pesa I. The servant of God went to be with the Lord at around 10:30am on Thursday morning at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in the hands of doctors,” Bishop Nyanjong’ stated.

His body, according to his handlers, was immediately transferred to the hospital’s private wing morgue - Kwee Funeral Home. 

News of his death spread rapidly across social media, where edited clips of his sermons, media interviews and public remarks circulated widely, particularly in the Nyanza region where his six-decade leadership of the church drew both admiration and criticism.

In Nyanza, particularly in Kisumu, where the headquarters of his Coptic Holy Ghost Church of Africa stands as an iconic structure in Mamboleo along the Kisumu–Kakamega Road, Father John Pesa I was also known in some quarters as ‘Owigo’.

To his ardent followers, he was a towering servant of God who was being fought by those who were rubbed the wrong way by his preaching.

To a section of locals, he was a mysterious figure whom they blamed albeit without substantive evidence for misfortunes including road accidents.

Yet to the political class, he was a betrayer who sides with opponents and goes all the way to launch comical scathing attacks against them at their hour of need.

However, the church’s top hierarchy maintains that Pesa was relentless in his commitment to God until his passing despite the numerous challenges that were posed by the unfair criticism he faced in his career as a religious figure.

“Reverend Father John Pesa I is a man who has served under a lot of controversies and misunderstanding but nevertheless he stood firm in his love to God. He served God tirelessly to his death,” Bishop Nyanjong’ stated.

According to the Church, Father Pesa’s death did not come as a surprise since he had spent his final moments with them preparing them for his passing.

“He was in church delivering what would be his final sermon. During that sermon, he told us he was on his way,” the bishop said.

“He asked us to pray for him and said he might not see the next month. He assured us that God would continue guiding and protecting us,” he added.

Followers view his prediction that he would not live to see June as evidence of his spiritual insight.

His final wish, according to the church, was for members to remain united and continue serving God.

The church has appealed to followers to remain calm during the mourning period and called on Kenyans to help accord him a dignified send-off.

“Come together so that we may give him a befitting send-off,” Bishop Nyanjong’ appealed.