- Pastor James Ng’ang’a could be subject to scrutiny by state investigators should the request of Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris be accepted
- Passaris wants the National Assembly’s departmental committee on Administration and Internal Security to sanction a probe into the cleric’s conduct
- This is after a video went viral, in which the outspoken cleric is heard confessing to being part of a gang that mishandled a woman
Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris wants the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to institute a probe into the conduct of Pastor James Ng’ang’a of Nenoi Evangelism.
Source: Facebook
This follows a video that went viral, in which the outspoken cleric is heard confessing to being part of a gang that mishandled a woman.
The pronouncements in the video captured Ng’ang’a as seeming to admit involvement in a group of eight individuals linked to the sexual assault of a woman in the past.
Why Esther Passaris wants Pastor Ng’ang’a investigated
Passaris sought the intervention of the National Assembly to compel the DCI to subject the controversial preacher to scrutiny.
She however did not pass judgment against Ng’ang’a immediately.
Speaking at a plenary Wednesday afternoon, October 8, Passaris appreciated that the video could be a creation of the artificial intelligence machines, but called for thorough investigations to establish the facts.
Should it be found to be fake, then the purveyors ought to face justice, and if indeed it is authenticated, then Ng’ang’a ought to be presented to the justice system, Passaris suggested.
The lawmaker addressed the matter to the National Assembly’s departmental committee on Administration and Internal Security, which is chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo.
“In this era of artificial intelligence and digital manipulation, it is often difficult to determine whether such content is authentic or fabricated. Nonetheless, a video of this nature demands immediate and serious investigation. If genuine, the clip represents not a summons but a criminal confession that requires urgent action by law enforcement agencies,” she said.
The MP noted that whether the video is fake or not is not the problem.
Source: Twitter
Passaris was concerned that victims of such sexual malpractices are the ones left to suffer humiliation after the horrific experiences at the hands of the offenders.
She sought the committee to inform the house of the legal measures and otherwise taken in light of the matter, and whether the DCI is actively investigating it.
“It exposes the dangerous misuse of technology to spread falsehoods, discredit faith and re-traumatise survivors of sexual violence. It is against this background that I request a statement from the chairperson of the committee on the following: One, clarification on measures being taken by the DCI to authenticate and investigate the circulating video using digital forensic expertise, to update the public on the outcome, to restore confidence in both faith and justice. Two, an explanation on the mechanisms in place to identify, locate and protect survivors of sexual violence whose trauma may be aggravated by the circulation of such sensitive media content online. Three, information on the plans by the government to regulate, monitor and curb the misuse of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies that generate or manipulate contents amounting to criminal misinformation or obstruction of justice so as to prevent technological abuse that undermine morality, public trust and national cohesion,” she submitted.
How Apostle Ng’ang’a respond to Esther Passaris
Meanwhile, Ng’ang’a immediately responded to Passaris. He is still unapologetic.
He embarked on a religious deflection to get back at his detractors.
The cleric, in an explosive TikTok session, said his was a confession of wrongdoing and that he had transformed and got saved. He suggested that he was passing a message to others with such behaviours.
Ng’ang’a, while seeming to invoke divine intervention, said his challenges would be handled by the God he worships.
He restated having partaken in the indecent act, saying it was his past. It happened in 1980, he said, seeming to wonder why it was becoming an issue decades later.
The preacher wondered whether Passaris would go after the other men in the infamous gang.
He warned that anyone coming after him would die before their time, as he would be defended by the supernatural.
The pastor further observed that politicians like Passaris have no moral authority to demand action on others.
According to him, the Kenyan political class has embodied moral decadence through their utterances, corrupt dealings, and indecent spectacles.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
