Thieves raid Kirinyaga church, steal sound equipment worth Ksh.500K

According to Stephen Munene, the church's People's Warden, the thieves gained entry on Saturday by breaking through the gate, a window and an inner door. They stole speakers, a bass speaker, a mixer amplifier, receivers, microphones, a keyboard, connecting cables and a crossover.

The theft was discovered by Lucy Wachira, a church worker, who raised the alarm after noticing signs of a break in.

"I could not believe it after I discovered the padlocks were intact and realised they had entered through the window. I found that the gate had been broken into," Wachira said.

James Macharia, who runs the church's sound system, said the stolen equipment was fairly new, and its absence was felt immediately during Sunday's service.

Munene said this was not the first time the church had been targeted, noting that thieves had previously made away with the church gate and water taps in separate incidents.

"We don't know what we will do in coming Sundays without the electronics. Today we were struggling and shouting at the top of our voices to sing or hear our reverend," the trio said.

Church leaders have reported the matter to police, and investigations are underway. Munene said cases of theft targeting churches have become increasingly common in the area, raising concerns among worshippers over security at religious institutions.