UK investigating Kenyan pastor for selling oil he claims can ‘protect congregants against coronavirus’

A Kenyan man, who works as a preacher in the United Kingdom, is under probe for allegedly selling “bogus” oil that he claimed could “protect congregants against coronavirus”.

Southwark News reports that Climate Irungu Wiseman, who is the leader of Bishop Climate Ministries in Camberwell District in South London, sold a bottle of the oil at £91 (Ksh11, 800) each.

On April 2, authorities in the London Borough of Southwark launched an urgent probe into the church’s alleged involvement in the scam. Bishop Climate Ministries is part of the Kingdom Church, which is currently under investigation.

Southwark News reports that Irungu had said the Ksh11, 800 “plague protection kit” made of just oil and red string would protect wearers from deadly coronavirus.

A post on a ministry website had claimed: “You can be saved from the coronavirus pandemic by covering yourself with the divine plague protection oil and wearing the scarlet yarn on your body.”

Following uproar, the website post was edited to remove specific reference to the Ksh11, 800 kit protecting wearers from coronavirus, instead claiming it will protect from “every plague.”

“We are looking into the serious concern about Kingdom Church GB’s alleged sale of false COVID-19 protection devices, as a matter of urgency,” a spokesperson of the Charity Commission told Southwark News.

“We have opened a regulatory compliance case to assess the matter, and will be liaising as appropriate with other agencies.”

Reached for comment by Southwark News, Bishop Irungu refused to give a reply.

Irungu is, however, quoted as saying that he sold 1, 000 of the “protection oil” kits.

The price tag was only to cover the cost of ingredients, packaging, and posting, Irungu reportedly told PA News Agency.

“What is so wrong about putting into practice what the Bible says,” he is reported to have said.

In March 2016, Bishop Irungu’s church found itself hogging media headlines after it was fined more than £7,000 (Ksh911, 000) for “noisy” 3am sermons.

The council fine was overturned in court, which Bishop Wiseman said was “the hand of God at work”.