According to official media, eight “prophets” from an apostolic religion group drowned on Saturday during a baptism ritual in a river in Rushinga, Mashonaland Central Province.
According to the Herald newspaper, the “prophets” perished while competing to grab a “holy stick” in the deep waters of the Mazowe River during a baptismal rite.
According to the article, Timothy Maregere, the provincial development coordinator for Mashonaland Central Province, verified the occurrence and stated that their remains had been recovered.
“The group consisted of ten ‘prophets,’ and only two survived,” according to the publication.
Baptism
Baptism is a Christian rite of admission and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water, into Christianity. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three times for each person of the Trinity.
In other News, The Government has been asked to preserve Sagalla Cultural Museum
The rust-colored structure is nestled discreetly in the middle of the picturesque Sagalla Mountains, deep in the Voi sub-county hinterland. It stands tall as it has for almost a century, a testament to endurance that has defied both time and seasons.
It exudes antiquity in every way. With age, the wooden door with the massive copper lock has crumbled. Window frames are lacking glass panes. The imposing steeple protrudes aggressively into the sky like an accusatory finger. The walls, which are composed of thick iron sheets, have become mud-brown after being buffeted by the weather for several decades.
Photo by Wagema Mwangi
Mzee Lucas Kisombe, 79, walks around the building gingerly but with the apparent familiarity of one who had done the same exercise many times before. He stops in one corner and strokes a brick with a gnarled hand. Etched on the surface of the stone are numbers 1901.
“This is what was written by masons who were repairing the foundation during those years,” he narrates. Mzee Kisombe is an official of the Rev. Wray Museum and a renowned historian of Sagalla community culture.
The dilapidated building he so loves adoringly is Rev. Joseph Wray Memorial Museum. This is a little known pearl that possesses vast cultural and historical significance to the Sagalla Community and to the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK).
Within it, lies rare antiquated artefacts, cultural items and religious paraphernalia of the Sagalla community from ages long gone.
