Esther Arunga tendered her resignation from KTN last week

FORMER TV presenter Esther Arunga, who resigned from KTN in a hufflast month, is now living in The Finger of God Church in Runda withmusician Hellon and several members of his congregation.

She has broken off her engagement and cancelled her wedding due tothe wishes of a “spiritual leader from the US” who sends theminstructions.

Tusker Project Fame teacher and jazzmusician pastor Joseph Nimroo Hellon has denied claims that he runs acultist church that has entrapped Esther. What started with a court case in Kibera where Hellon was prosecutedfor sending an abusive message to a member of his church has sparked aseries of controversial events, including claims that he has targetedseveral media personalities for recruitment to his church.

Police launched investigations after her parents filed a complaint,but police sources yesterday said it was difficult to prove that thechurch was a cult.

“We could not prove that the girl (Esther) had been kidnapped or was being held against her will,” the CID officer said.

Yesterday Hellon said that all the charges against him are false and malicious.

“A couple of guys in my church started a hate campaign against meafter they left and now because their spiritual beliefs were contraryto what the church believes in, they have even started their ownchurch,” he said. “The CID investigations against me have beencompleted and they found out that it was a case of slander and it hasbeen withdrawn.”


The saxophonist who talked to The Star yesterday evening said he hadbeen unavailable to answer questions because on Thursday evening,police confiscated his phone and computers for investigation.


“Now that they do not have a case against me or the church, they returned everything to me and withdrew it.”

The Finger of God church is known for its middle class followers.The church services are usually held at conference centres in the city.


Hellon said that he has been housing the TV personality for a year now.

He accused his personal assistant for hacking into his email and using the information to slander him.

“I know about those emails, they are with my lawyers now,” he said.

In one of the said emails Hellon is promised Sh100,000 to buy landto build the church by a US based televangelist if he follows a set ofrules.

The rules demanded that Nigerian musician Quincy Timberlake be madean apostle in the church. In addition Hellon was to record a number oftracks with Timberlake him and make sure they get a lot of mediaattention.


Other conditions include Hellon throwing out some members of hischurch from his Runda residence especially those opposed to Quincy andto “never readmit the disfellowshiped apostles.”

Sources said it was after this that problems started brewing in the church.

Some members like Esther Arunga’s then fiance Wilson Malaba and event Guru Kevin Ombajo were thrown out.


Things took a turn for the worse when the ‘US tel-evangelist’prophesied that Quincy is the right husband for the news anchor. CIDofficers investigating the case said they established that E¬ther andQuincy are lovers.

An inside source claims, “Esther’s impending nuptials to Wilson havebeen put on hold till the whole drama dies down. No final decision canbe made because she is not herself and the decisions she is making areout of fear.”

On February 11, the police visited the Runda residence looking forthe anchor after the family members expressed concern for her safetyand well-being.

The following day, in a chat with the televangelist on gmail, Esther admitted that she has disowned her family.


“That is not true,” Hellon said. “Yesterday Esther met with themother and had lunch. The reason why the parents are upset is becausethe whole family is Adventist while she has gone to join an apostolicchurch.”


As for the churches spiritual practices Hellon said, “There isnothing clandestine, we do everything other churches do, we read thebible and follow it, partake of Holy Communion and baptize.”

Tusker Project Fame winner Alpha Rwirangira also attended the churchservices in the months that he was in Kenya after his big win.

In an interview with The Star from his home in Rwanda, he was askedif he left because of the churches spiritual practices he said, “Thatis true, what I saw is true that is why I left.”

Another former TPF contestant Patricia Kihoro denied been part ofthe mentorship programme at Hellon’s Runda residence where a number ofwomen are housed. “No I had no idea there was something like that.


Kilimani police advised Esther’s family to seek remedy from thecourts as they investigate other criminal claims leveled against Quincyand Hellon.

The police say the lady is above 18 years and her case doesn’twarrant offenses like kidnapping or abduction since the family wasaware of her decision to quit her employment and move into the Rundahouse.


The saxophonist’s final words were, “I’m an upright man and I won’tstand for anything unbiblical. I’m not afraid to stand before a cameraand say it.”

Hellon is set to appear at the Kibera court on February 26 for fixing of a hearing date on the abusive text message


By Grace Kerongo. The Star.