Reverend Francis Ngachu holds a photograph of his late brother Bishop Simon Ndegwa during an interview at Witemere slums in Nyeri town on July 10, 2025.
On May 31, 2025, Reverend Francis Ngachu left his home in Majengo slums, Nyeri County, to buy timber for repairs at True Disciple Ministry, the small church he had recently established.
But a few kilometres into his journey, he received a phone call that changed everything.
“A neighbour told me to go back home immediately but didn’t explain why, only that it was urgent,” he recalls.
Less than a kilometre from his house, Reverend Ngachu encountered a chaotic crowd.
At the centre of the commotion was his twin brother, 67-year-old Bishop Simon Ndegwa, pinned under heavy logs and accused of a crime that had triggered a deadly riot.
That morning, Bishop Ndegwa who oversaw a network of churches in Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Nairobi, Murang’a, Machakos, Nyeri, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo was accused of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy in the Witemere area of Majengo slums.
According to witnesses, the boy’s mother had stepped out briefly leaving her children under the care of their eldest, a fellow nine-year-old.
When she returned, her son was missing and his siblings said he had left with Bishop Ndegwa.
The concerned mother rushed to Bishop Ndegwa’s compound and knocked but got no response. About 30 minutes later, her son emerged from the gate limping.
When she asked what had happened, the boy hesitated and then told her the man of God had lured him with a pancake before allegedly molesting him.
Reverend Ngachu arrived to find his brother surrounded by an angry mob ready to exact vengeance.
“They were about to set him ablaze and I tried to intervene to remove the logs from him but the crowd was too hostile,” he says.
As the violence unfolded, he managed to speak to his brother.
Reverend Francis Ngachu holds a photograph of his late brother Bishop Simon Ndegwa during an interview at Witemere slums in Nyeri town on July 10, 2025.
“I asked him if the accusations were true and he replied ‘Yes, I did it.’ But later and even now I believe that confession was made under pressure. Maybe he was just desperate for mercy,” he says.
Reverend Ngachu says five men dragged and ordered him from the scene. Meanwhile, a few concerned residents had contacted the police but the response was delayed.
“I decided to run to Nyeri Central Police Station myself. But just after I arrived, I got another call and it was too late,” he recalls.
His twin brother Bishop Ndegwa had died from mob beating and was set ablaze and never made it to a courtroom.
“It was the most shocking news of my life. I couldn’t believe my brother had been killed. They could have taken him to the police for questioning,” says Reverend Ngachu.
The father of six was laid to rest in Kiharo, Mukurweini sub-county on June 7. According to his family, he had been living in Nanyuki and only returned to Majengo four months before his death to help his twin establish a church in the area.
He had served as a bishop with True Disciple Ministry since his ordination in 1983. But his killing marked the beginning of another nightmare for his brother.
Three days after the burial, Reverend Ngachu spoke from an undisclosed location, gripped by both grief and fear.
As he walked home from the police station on the day of the lynching, he encountered a man and woman.
“The man accused me of protecting my brother all these years. Then he said you’re next,’” he recounts.
The threat, he says, was not idle. Since then, he has received at least four anonymous calls warning him to stay silent—or face the same fate.
He believes he recognises the voices on the phone.
“They’re scared because I saw their faces at the scene. Some were even from our church. I think they fear I’ll report them to the police,” says the 67-year-old preacher.
Reverend Ngachu reported the threats to Nyeri Central Police Station on May 31 but he insists he is not seeking vengeance.
“I’ve forgiven them. I even signed an affidavit in court saying I wouldn’t pursue them. I just want peace,” he says, adding that police had advised him to formalise the decision not to press charges before his brother’s burial.
Despite this, the threats persist and his church has remained closed since the incident.
According to Nyeri Central Sub-county Police Commander, Andrew Mbogo, reports from locals indicated that Bishop Ndegwa was a repeat offender.
“Preliminary investigations indicated this was the fourth time the suspect had been accused of molestation with the most recent case reported in 2020. Some of the alleged incidents are said to have occurred in Nanyuki,” Mr Mbogo said.
Locals speaking to Nation.Africa on condition of anonymity claimed that Bishop Ndegwa had previously been accused of attempting to defile a minor in Majengo.
He was reportedly arrested but later released due to lack of evidence. For now, Reverend Ngachu remains in hiding torn between grief, fear, and a fading hope for peace.
