PH
It was all systems go for Joyce Waithera, a banker and her fiancé Paul Waithaka, a teacher.
The couple were set to tie the knot on Saturday, November 2, at Mizpah House of Prayer Church in Maili Saba, Bahati.
Thereafter, they would dance to mugiithi and eat pilau with family and friends at their wedding reception at Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) outside Nakuru town.
Paul met Joyce at a prayer meeting, they fell in love and the rest, as they say, is history. Paul hails from Molo and has been a translator at Mizpah House of Prayer Church for eight years.
Joyce on the other hand fellowships at Revival-Sanctuary Church in Kawangware, Nairobi, but occasionally visits Mizpah House of Prayer Church for prayers and fasting.
But the lovebirds’ planned walk down the aisle was cut short by an unexpected news, causing bringing their Sh600, 000 wedding ceremony to an abrupt end.
According to a close family member, the couple had not submitted medical reports as required by Apostle Jesse Karanja, the presiding pastor of Mizpah House of Prayer Church.
“The couple were putting the final touches to their wedding plans the whole of Friday, and were late for a clinic appointment at a facility which closed by 8 pm. They had to postpone the appointment to the following morning on Saturday – their wedding day – before the church service,” said a source close to the couple.
“They were unable to have the medical tests at the same time, and ended up going for the tests separately at a clinic along Mburu Gichua Road in Nakuru town.
“The results were given to a member of the clergy who handed them to the presiding pastor.
“One of the medical reports revealed information that was unknown to the other partner, even as their marriage plans were in top gear…on the D-Day. Apostle Karanja then decided that the couple should seek a second opinion at another clinic along Kenyatta Avenue,” said the source.
The apostle assigned two pastors and the best couple to accompany Joyce and Paul to the clinic, insisting they should have the tests at the same time and together as a couple, not separately as they had previously done.
“The new results not only contradicted the first test results of one of the partners but revealed something unexpected,” the source said. This threw the couple, family and clergy into total confusion.
“The partners looked at each other in shock. However, the contradiction made them suspect that someone was determined to stop their wedding,” revealed the source.
The couple were driven back to church at around 4 pm and joined Apostle Karanja in a closed-door meeting with their parents, clergy and best couple.
At around 5 pm, the congregation gathered at the church and accused the preacher of sabotaging the wedding. Police came in to restore order, rounding up guests who were later released without charges.
“At 6 pm, Apostle Karanja cancelled the wedding over conflicting medical reports. He did not want to be held accountable and blamed by the couple later on. He said he was also concerned about the couple’s welfare,” the source revealed to newsmen.
After this declaration, the couple drove away in separate vehicles and residents of KITI were called into feast on the food which had been shipped from Nairobi.
Joyce’s family led by her father Henry Kamau expressed disappointment at the turn of events.
“It is their life and they have the final say. They wanted to get married, but the preacher refused to preside over the ceremony. He has been a stumbling block since the couple started planning the wedding. He has caused us humiliation and loss of almost Sh1 million,” Kamau said.
