The Vihiga Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Bishop John Mweresi, leader of the African Israel Nineveh Church, to nine months in prison after finding him guilty of land fraud and forgery.
The ruling, delivered on Monday afternoon, saw Bishop Mweresi convicted on four counts, including forging documents and illegally acquiring land. The court offered him the alternative of paying a Ksh. 280,000 fine Ksh. 70,000 per count or serving the jail term, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Mweresi appeared composed as the verdict was read. He had previously spent three weeks in remand after his bail was revoked, with the court citing flight risk concerns.
The case, which has dragged on for seven years, was marked by repeated adjournments and witness withdrawals, heightening tensions among members of the church who packed the courtroom to follow proceedings.
The magistrate advised the cleric to file an appeal within 14 days should he wish to challenge the decision.
