Photo: 98-Year-Old Self-Acclaimed Living God In Kenya 'Jehovah Wanyonyi' Dies Of Malaria

According to reports, the self-proclaimed god who lived in Chemororoch village in Uasin Gishu County, western Kenya died from malaria on July 18 on his way to Cherangany Nursing Home in Kitale town. Standard Digital reports that although the family of the man claims their father, who is husband to many, is still alive, local administrators say Jehovah Wanyonyi passed away on July 18.

The leaders made it known that Wanyonyi died after falling “very sick”. “The family came to me for a burial permit after they claimed that Jehova Wanyonyi succumbed to illness on his way to Cherangany Nursing Home in Kitale town,” Kipsomba Chief Daniel Busienei told The Standard.

Mr Busienei further revealed how the family requested a burial permit from him after leaving the hospital. “I told my assistant chief to issue them with a permit to allow the deceased family to lay him to rest,” said Busienei. However, the next day, Assistant Chief Paul Bett confirmed that he indeed gave the family the burial permit on July 19.“He died on July 18 on his way to the hospital and his son came for the permit the following day,” said Mr Bett.

When journalists visited the compound of the deceased self-proclaimed god, his 70 wives and children, were said to have gone violent, forcefully pursuing the newsmen out of their compound. They were said to have told the newsmen that they had no business in the compound and that their god, “mungu mwenye enzi” was safe. At first, there was speculation that Jehovah had been hospitalised in Cherangany before being transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.

Reports made it known that Wanyonyi, who also has an impressive number of followers in Uganda, had back problems four years ago. This has made him to be confined to a wheelchair at the home, where his followers say he has 70 wives, 500 children and more than 1,000 grandchildren. He was reported to have said that he brought HIV/AIDS to earth as a punishment to humanity for defying his commandments.  He claimed to be the Almighty God and deemed Jesus Christ to be his son.