Jesus Winner Ministry founder Bishop Edward Mwai has intervened on behalf of the youth arrested outside his church on Sunday, March 9.
The cleric, while addressing a charged-up congregation, said he had forgiven all those who attacked him online and also planned a raid on his church.
He revealed those who had planned the raid were being detained by the police officers who were deployed around the church early Sunday morning.
Mwai said the arrested youth do not belong to his church despite having clothing with the imprints of his church.
He said they were goons sent by people he did not mention. Mwai sought forgiveness on their behalf and asked the police to release them.
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"To all who have insulted me and called me names, I forgive you all. While on this pulpit, I want to declare that I have forgiven you. I won't fight you, but let God deal with you. But you will one day come to appreciate that God lives in this church. I know who sent them, and others have been arrested with phones; I forgave them and asked the police to release them," the preacher said.
Mwai has been at the centre of a storm sparked by President William Ruto's multi-million shilling donation.
While attending a service at Mwai's church on Sunday, March 2, the president pledged KSh 120 million from him and friends toward the construction of a church.
The hefty pledges by the president angered a section of Kenyans, who took to social media to register their astonishment.
They bashed Mwai for accepting what they said were proceeds of corruption; they vowed to raid the church to take the monies they argued were their taxes.
The preacher said there was no problem with the president attending the church, considering his predecessors, Uhuru Kenyatta and Mwai Kibaki, had also attended it in the past, including former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua.
Earlier, contingents of law enforcers from the General Service Unit (GSU) were deployed at the church in Roysambu in anticipation of the planned 'OccupyJesusWinner' protests.
Photos seen by Nairobileo.co.ke showed the GSU officers standing at the entry of the church with batons while others surrounded the church building.
