By KNA
A trader from Kiambu County is shattered after his wife of 26 years and with whom they have five children eloped with the pastor who wedded them.
Mr John Kanyua, from Juja Farm, is still in disbelief that the man who signed his marriage certificate could take away what he holds dearest in his life.
The troubled man said it all started when they began attending the pastor's Springs Church in Juja Farm.
Slowly, and out of admiration of their work, the pastor endorsed his wife to become an assistant pastor in his church.
The pastor's wife, Ms Agnes Wangivi, is also angry.
"I strongly objected the appointment, but he was determined to have his way. I confronted Leah and cautioned her not to play games with my husband. She looked innocent and I gave in," said the pastor's wife of 34 years. She is a mother of three.
As things progressed, the pastor started inviting Leah to attend family dinners in the absence of her husband.
"This is when I started questioning their friendship. I confronted Kanyua to keep his wife away from my husband, but he seemed blindfolded. My husband drifted away from his family and ran away with Leah in 2015," Ms Wangivi said.
Things got worse for Kanyua as the pastor would visit his house in the morning and he would spend an entire day locked with his wife inside.
Kanyua was forced to seek the intervention of the local administration and members of the clergy, but this made things worsened an already bad situation.
"This fuelled the issue further as the pastor later ran away with my wife and children and rented a house in a nearby market where they live," Kanyua said.
Leah's parents are said to have asked Mr Kanyua to accept a refund of his dowry, because their daughter is planning to wed the pastor. He has refused the offer.
Despite his poor plight, Mr Kanyua still pays school fees for his children and from his kiosk, sends them foodstuffs.
"This is unacceptable and I wouldn't sit back and watch someone take my family. If the government does not intervene, I will choose my ways. It has taken me a lot to grow the family all those years. I will not allow the wedding to continue. I can also seek legal redress. Let her stop soiling her name and ask for forgiveness, then I will take her back," said Kanyua.
The pastor's wife is also troubled, wondering what went wrong in their marriage.
"We have gone through a lot from when we started the church. To have all the property we have, we went through a lot, and then someone wants to throw it away by marrying a stranger. I can't allow this," said Ms Wangivi.
The pastor and Leah were not available to comment on the story first written by Kenya News Agency.
