[SIZE=5]Wedding called off on eleventh hour as pastor demands couple undergoes medical tests[/SIZE]
By Kennedy Gachuhi | Monday, Nov 5th 2018 at 10:28
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Guests and queue to be served with food at Kenya Industrial Training Institute on the outskirts Nakuru town after a wedding was cancelled because couple failed to meet church conditions. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard]https://www-standardmedia-co-ke.cdn.ampproject.org/i/s/www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/sunday/vgxarkt9z1x9jqfw5bdf5950012b4.jpg
All indications pointed to a perfect wedding. Everything was set. Cream and maroon had been unanimously settled on as the theme colours.
The couple, Joyce Waithera and Paul Waithaka, their families and friends were all looking forward to a great day.
The wedding was to be held at Mizpah House of Prayer Church in Bahati, Nakuru County, last Saturday.
However, in a shocking turn of events, the wedding did not happen after the officiating pastor cancelled it at the last minute.
It was a heartbreaking decision for Waithera and Waithaka, together with their families and hundreds of guests.
Waithera’s father, Henry Kamau, said they arrived at the church from his home in Gilgil around 10am expecting to have a great day.
“The family and friends of the groom picked up my daughter early in the morning. By 10am, we were at the church. However, we noticed that nothing much was going on save for the local choir singing,” said Mr Kamau.
Summoned couple
Then the preacher, identified as Apostle Jesse Karanja, arrived and summoned the couple to his office.
Henry Kamau father to Joyce Waithera during an interview at Kiti in Nakuru on November 4, 2018 after his daughter’s wedding was was called off. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard]https://www-standardmedia-co-ke.cdn.ampproject.org/i/s/www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/sunday/glutlw03jclwb75bdf5901a5103.jpg
Kamau said the preacher demanded that Waithera and Waithaka go for a medical checkup and bring him the results before he could conduct their wedding.
Most churches require couples to undergo pregnancy and HIV tests before they are joined in holy matrimony.
The couple is said to have returned to the church at noon with the results. However, the preacher kept them waiting for another two hours then demanded that they go for another test. This time, he specified the particular hospital he wanted the test done.
“We knew something was amiss when he directed them to have a second test without giving reasons. My daughter and her fiancé obliged hoping it would end of the torment,” said Kamau.
Prior to the wedding, the couple had gone for another medical test.
The results of the second test were submitted to the preacher at 4pm. He preacher called the couple, their parents and close friends to his office. He was said to have opened the results but said he did not understand everything the doctor had written.
“He said the results were okay but some sections were not legible. He then demanded that a health practitioner be brought to the church to explain what he couldn’t’t understand in the report,” said Kamau.
As the sun was setting, the congregation was growing impatient. People threatened to break into the preacher’s office but the man of the cloth called in the police, who rounded up several guests and bundled them into their vehicle.
Those arrested, including the couple’s relatives, were released later without any charges.
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