Pastor Stephen Kaithia next to his car that was damaged by a bullet. Inset: The Bible that took the bullet when the pastor was shot at.
Pastor Stephen Kaithia of Neema Christian Church in Kianjai, Meru County, has always cherished the Bible as the book of life, but never imagined it would one day literally save his life.
The pastor is still coming to terms with the incident when he was ambushed by a gang armed with guns and machetes as he left a church meeting in Kathama ka Aindi area.
The damaged car windscreen.
Pastor Kaithia was in high spirits as he left for home with his daughter and a fellow pastor after an evening prayer meeting on Saturday, March 1.
“After leaving the church compound at around 10pm, I found a group of young people who are members of my church and stopped to bid them goodbye. Suddenly, two men came out of the crowd and one pointed a gun to my head from the driver’s door. The other one was armed with a machete,” Pastor Kaithia recounts.
He said the gunman asked if he was the pastor and announced that he was on a mission to kill him.
A single bullet fired at close range to eliminate him hit the Bible, ricocheted and came out through the windscreen.
The Bible that took the bullet when Pastor Stephen Kaithia was shot at.
Petrified, the pastor froze in shock, mumbling prayers as the young people he was talking to ran for cover at the sight of a gun.
“The gunman fired one shot. The only thing I remember is the deafening sound of the gun. I came to my senses while standing next to the man who was armed with a machete. I was cut on the palm as I was shielding my body from the machete,” he says.
"Miraculously, the bullet missed me and instead ripped through the Bible, which was placed on the dashboard. The bullet exited through the windshield.”
The attackers, who had a motorcycle on standby, stole his phones and money before fleeing.
The attack on the church leader is the latest in a series of attacks on churches, with criminal gangs staging break-ins and burglaries to steal valuables from places of worship in the region.
Pastor Kaithia says he still does not understand how the single bullet, fired at close range, missed him.
“Police officers who arrived at the scene were similarly surprised that I survived the shooting. They thought that I was shot through the windscreen and that the bullet may have hit me on the head or chest,” the pastor says.
Pastor Stephen Kaithia and other pastors under the Tigania and Ruiri Pastors Caucus during a press briefing on insecurity.
The pastor first narrated the March 1, 2025 incident to journalists on Sunday as he cautioned youths against acts of lawlessness ahead of President William Ruto's tour of Mt Kenya region.
According to Tigania West DCI Musa Gituathi, investigations are ongoing to identify those involved in the attack.
The police boss said suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the attack.
Following the incident, pastors in Tigania West have called for increased security.
Bishop Morris Lichoro, the secretary-general of the local Clergy Caucus, said there had been an increase in cases of church break-ins by criminals targeting electronics.
“Two of my churches have been broken into and music and sound equipment stolen. This has been going on for several years now. We urge the police to enhance security patrols to end crime,” Bishop Lichoro said.
Bishop Francis Nchebere called for improved policing to ensure a rapid response to criminal activity.
He stressed that the ratio of police to citizens was dangerously low, making it difficult for the authorities to respond effectively to criminal activities.
He said there had been an increase in crimes targeting churches, leaving many pastors vulnerable.
