Kenyan preacher stabs wife and kills himself at the pulpit

A Kenyan pastor has stabbed his wife several times before killing himself at the pulpit.

Elisha Mizigo, 55, stabbed his wife pastor Ann Mughoi on Sunday in the church they co-founded in the coastal city of Mombasa.

Mizigo stabbed his wife on the pulpit in the middle of service in the back and hand before stabbing himself in the chest and neck, The Standard reported.

Mizigo died on the spot while his wife passed away at the hospital, the police said.

Mizigo left a suicide note.

“She has been involved in love affairs with young men in the church… I hustled from mkokoteni (cart) pushing and we slowly bought the plot after we took some loan from a local bank,” the suicide note read.

The note continued: “After a lot of struggle, we progressed well in life and were even blessed with children and then began amassing wealth and property, including owning a church. However, at some point, my wife started to betray me. She went behind my back and took control of all what we had gotten in 19 years without my prior knowledge.

“She even took away the parcel of land where the church stands, including church furniture and equipment and even had me arrested. My wife also subjected me to insults. I was not allowed to see my children. Today I have killed her.”

Mizigo, according to reports, had earlier attempted to kill his wife on December 31. A police patrol, however, thwarted his plan.

According to the county’s police boss, Julius Kiragu, “Mizigo had confirmed their unending squabbles, which he based on both love and sharing of wealth that they had acquired over time.”

Members of the church were aware of the feud between Mizigo and his wife, The Standard reported citing eyewitnesses.

“There were several attempts to reconcile the two who are parents of four children. Things never worked well and since last year Pastor Elisha stopped coming to church after they fell out with his wife,” the website quoted Peter Kimbada, who serves as the church treasurer as saying.