Subukia shrine: Villager narrates experience at 'place of peace and prayers'

Tucked away in Subukia village, Bahati sub-county in Nakuru county, is Subukia shrine.

It is considered a holy site by the Catholic community in that region.

A resident spoke to Wananchi Reporting about the shrine's significance: “I was born in this area and ever since my childhood years, I would see people visit the shrine and say that people who prayed at the sight had their prayers 'heard more'”, Vincent Kiptoo said. 

Subukia shrine was started by the Catholic community many years ago.

It started as a community church. The shrine is located in the middle of a hill.

The hill is called Golgotha (named by the community).

For those who are familiar with the Bible, Golgotha is where Jesus was crucified.

Cold water flows from the top of the hill towards the bottom where a chapel is constructed.  

“This is not just any water, it is holy," Kiptoo says. 

In the middle of the mountain, are two rooms separated by a chain: the holy place and the most holy place.

The holy place is where the believers pray, and at the end of their prayer session, they usually write a prayer item and drop it in the most holy place.

These prayer items are later collected by the church bishops for intercessory prayers. 

Outside the building are two holes where water from the top of the hill is collected.

Believers use the water to clean themselves: wash their hands, faces and even carry it home in containers.

At the entrance of the shrine, is a statue of Mary and Jesus and they pray before leaving the place. 

Kiptoo says, "Many believe in the healing power of the site."

People are however cautioned from depending on sites for healing and medical attention is advised for ailing people.

This, amid a saga involving Pastor Paul Mackenzie, on whose land in Shakahola, more than two hundred bodies have been exhumed - some after starving themselves to death 'to meet Jesus', while others are alleged to have visited the church seeking divine healing, only to die.
 Meanwhile, at the Subukia shrine, service takes place in the chapel near where the bishops and the priest live. 

As narrated to Janet Akinyi