When you enter the Kibera Law Courts compound between 8:00am and 8:45am, you are likely to encounter the spectacle of a group of people intently listening to two uniformed officers preaching.
Inspector Mary Kaburengu, a prison warder attached to Lang’ata Women’s Prison, and Pastor Sergeant Julius Songoli, a traffic officer from the Nairobi Area Police Station, usually preach on Tuesdays (to judiciary staff) and Wednesdays (to the public) in a routine that is increasingly attracting more people.
The court’s waiting area is turned into a pulpit where the two preach before court sessions begin at 9am.
Inspector Kaburengu says she has been preaching there since 2012. Recently, she was joined by Sergeant Songoli.
Mr Songoli says he also conducts services in churches around Nairobi when time allows. Additionally, he has a church within Kamukunji Police Station, where he preaches on Sundays.
“As a prison officer who used to accompany remanded inmates from prisons to court for their matters to be heard, I could see despair, regret, and frustration in their faces. Since I had received Jesus Christ as my saviour, I decided to use my voice spiritually to positively impact the public and the police service,” she said.
Always wearing her uniform when preaching, Ms Kaburengu, a 2012 theology graduate from Park University, began by preaching to suspects facing trial at the Kibera Law Courts.
However, it wasn’t long before some Judiciary officers became moved by her gesture and approached her, requesting that she also preach to them.
“I thank God that the magistrates at the court heeded the judiciary workers’ request and permitted me to start using one of the courtrooms, which we turned into a house of God. From there, I delivered the word to staff, including magistrates, clerks, and other members,” she said.
At 9am., after being used as a space for morning sermons, the courtroom would revert to its main function —handling scheduled cases.
In 2015, as the number of people attending fellowship grew, the magistrates saw the need to provide Ms Kaburengu with a waiting area within the court compound to accommodate more people.
To Ms Kaburengu, the decision also meant that she could separate the two services, assigning different days to the public and staff.
Mr Songoli says comments from members of the public, who believe police officers cannot genuinely preach the word of God, sometimes wonder if police officers are not human beings.
“Like any other professionals, it’s possible to have men and women in pastoring or ministering the word of God. We all need God in our lives, and encouraging people to live godly lives is not reserved for people in other professions. It’s just a calling and service to the sheep,” he said.
According to Ms Kaburengu, one of her most memorable days as a preacher and civil servant was when Chief Justice Martha Koome visited the court, mingled with staff, and listened to her sermon.
While they encourage staff to adhere to professionalism and ethical conduct, their messages to the public revolve around integrity, good morals, honesty, and positive consistency.
