24 May 2020 | Kenya’s Standard Digital reported on May 19 that a 76-year-old man was charged with maliciously damaging property belonging to the West Kenya Union Conference of the Adventist Church.

Agal Achom allegedly destroyed the union’s concrete perimeter fence and its gate on January 10, 2020. He is accused of bulldozing the wall, accompanied by his sons and a neighbor.

The union headquarters is located in Kanyakwar, Kisumu County.

Although the motives for Achom’s alleged actions are unclear, Standard Digital reported that a land dispute seemed to be at the root of the destruction of the wall of land parcel number Kisumu Kanyakwar 15037.

Achom denied charges and was released on bail.

It appears that Achom earlier won a civil case against Phoebe Muea, a woman with whom he had a separate property dispute. He was allowed to repossess land with a court order he was issued.

However, Achom allegedly used the order to bulldoze the denomination’s wall on a completely different plot of land.

“This was a tactic by Achom to get a court order that he would use to demolish a perimeter wall which is in another parcel of land Kisumu/ Kanyakwar 15037 belonging to SDA West Kenya Union Conference,” said court documents.

The denomination had fully documented rights to the land parcel.

Achom’s case will be heard on July 9.

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