Kenya: Bishop denies claims snake tried to bite Uhuru at service

    

PHOTO | FILE Bishop Mary Kagendo Francis of the Kisima cha Neema cha Mwana wa Daudi church with president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By KNA
Posted  Tuesday, March 26   2013 at  00:30

A cleric has criticised the media over reports that a snake almost attacked president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta when he worshipped at a church in Mombasa.Bishop Mary Kagendo Francis of the Kisima cha Neema cha Mwana wa Daudi church also denied reports that the snake slithered to where Mr Kenyatta was seated but was shot dead by presidential guards after it attempted to attack the Jubilee leader.The prelate said she learnt of the snake story through the media, and after enquiry discovered that it was only a small green mamba which was killed by a young boy using a stick.Speaking in Kitui after a crusade at her Mulango home, Bishop Kagendo blamed the local media for creating a political storm out of a small incident, adding that citing of wild animals at the garden where her church is situated is common.“We have monkeys, baboons, birds and occasionally see small snakes at our place of worship, but we cannot resort to killing them because we embrace nature,” Bishop Kagendo said.She added that her church attracts huge crowd forcing them to worship outdoors where interacting with wild animals is inevitable.The cleric also down played claims that the snake could have been sent by Uhuru’s political nemesis or witchcraft was involved.She vowed to take unspecified action against those she accused of spreading “alarmist falsehoods.”