Machete-wielding man chases pilgrims from Kisii home over 'Virgin Mary' image

Drama ensued in a Kisii village after a man wielding a machete chased away hundreds of Catholic pilgrims who had gathered at his home following claims that an image resembling the Virgin Mary had appeared on his kitchen wall.

Charles Onsombi, the homeowner and husband to Mary Onsombi, reportedly lost his patience after the homestead in Getare Village, Emenwa Sub-Location, Bobasi Constituency, was overrun by faithful, preachers and curious onlookers.

Onsombi ordered the crowd to leave his property and demolished the kitchen where the alleged image had appeared, bringing the week-long spectacle to an abrupt end.

Reports indicate that he brandished a machete as he ordered people out of his compound.

For about a week, the homestead had attracted hundreds and later thousands of people who believed the marking on the wall could be a holy sign.

Onsombi reportedly told journalists that photos of the alleged “Virgin Mary” image circulating online had been edited or enhanced, including using artificial intelligence, making the figure appear clearer than it actually was.

He said the image being shared online was not an accurate representation of what appeared on his wall.

Local Catholic leaders had also warned that claims surrounding the alleged apparition were spreading as misinformation.

The incident began on Friday, September 4, when Mary Onsombi, a devout Catholic, was preparing supper in her kitchen.

She lit her jiko, or charcoal stove, and noticed a faint shadow on the northern mud wall, about three feet from the floor, near where she usually knelt while cooking.

At first, she thought it was smoke. When she tried wiping the mark with a cloth, it did not disappear. Instead, it appeared to become more pronounced.

By the following day, the whitish-grey formation had become more defined.

To some believers, it resembled an 18-inch-tall woman wearing a long veil with her hands clasped in prayer, similar to traditional depictions of “Bikira Maria”, or the Virgin Mary.

Word spread rapidly, and by Sunday, hundreds, followed by thousands, had gathered at the small homestead.

Local priests later visited the site and offered a different explanation.

Nyamagwa Parish priest Edward Nyakundi reportedly told the crowd that the marking was not an image of the Virgin Mary.

He explained that smoke from cooking can mix with water or steam on a soot-covered wall, creating patterns that may resemble recognisable figures.

Nyakundi urged people to stop visiting the site and described the apparition claims as false.

Despite the warning, many people continued arriving to pray and sing until Onsombi returned and took matters into his own hands.

The incident has since sparked fascination and debate online, with Kenyans questioning how a seemingly ordinary marking on a kitchen wall quickly became the centre of a religious spectacle.