Writes Leo Odera Omolo

A female cleric has severely criticized the media report over a highly sensational report that a highly venomous African bush-snake almost struck Kenya’s President – elect Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta when he attended the church service with other worshipers in her church.

The incident took place when the Kenyan leader went to worship at a church, which situated at the Coastal port City of Mombasa two weeks ago.

Bishop Mary Kagendo Francis of the Kisimu Cha Mwana wa Daudi church also denied that the reptile had slithered into the place of warship where Mr Kenyatta was seated and was with9n the striking distance, but it was quickly shot and killed by one of the presidential security guards after it attempted to attack the jubilee leader.

The Bishop was quoted by the Kenya News Agency {KNA]as saying she only learnt of the snake story through the media and after some enquiries, but she discovered that it was only a small green mamba snake, which was killed by a young boy using a walking stick.

Speaking in Kitui about 100 kilometers south east of Mombasa after conducting a crusade at her Mlango home, Bishop Kagendo blamed the local media for over-blowing the report thereby creating national storm out of a small incident, adding that wildlife animals are always frequenting as a garden situated outside her church.

“We have monkeys, baboons, birds and occasionally we see snakes at our place of worshipping, but we cannot resort to killing them because we embrace nature,” Bishop Kagendo said.

She said that he church attracts a huge crowd of worshippers at time forcing them into open air prayers where they do occasional interacting with wild animals is inevitable.

He Bishop also down played claims that the snake could have been sent by Mr Kenyatta’s political nemesis or the work of witchcraft was involved.

The cleric, however, vowed to take some actions against those peddled this information terming them as alarmist.

Ends