Cult - 'Those Who Laugh At US Will Perish'

Nairobi, Kenya - House of Yahweh sect members have weird predictions and strongly prophesise that they will come to pass.

The House of Yahweh, a religious group, is sending shockwaves in Nakuru district and Kinangop.

The adherents, though dressed haggardly and living in mud walled houses, exhibit a conviction which if not checked could be disastrous.

"People see me as a mad man, but I do not care because Yahweh is the only one to judge me," says the 47-year-old Mosheh Sang the leader of the group in Mauche, Molo.

Probed if the sect contemplates mass suicide if the prophecy comes to nought, Sang is categorical.

"It is the people and the Government who are likely to kill us because of our faith, but let them kill us because we are not afraid of death," he adds.

In the three-room house, which was earlier an hotel, Sang has dug an underground tunnel which he says can accommodate his family of four and two other old men who are too old to construct to construct a bunker.

"These will accommodate six people. The food I am stocking inside the tunnel will last us for 13 months before the return of our King," he says pointing at the underground tunnel.

The bunkers, which are 20 feet under contain bedrooms, sitting room, a bathroom and a toilet.

Sang, a third born in a family of five says he came to learn of the religion in 2000, when his wife died.

"My wife used to go to church of Christ and when she died, I knew the children needed a role model," he says.

He says he spent sleepless nights trying to decide which church to join. Many churches had sprouted in the area. But it was not until a friend, Keter Yahtah, approached him that he finally made a decision. The friend told him about the House of Yahweh.

After brief teachings, he says he started to tell people of the new teachings. Soon, people started to throng his hotel for Saturday prayers.

Sang, who has no formal education, gave the premises a new name. He called it the House of Yahweh.

From the faithful, one will note that most of them dropped out of school.

"I did not go to school and I have no worldly possessions but the teachings of the book of Yahweh gives meaning to life," he says.

History is replete with groups with fanatical following that has led to lose of lives because of their believes and faith.

In March 18, 2000, 230 members of a Ugandan Doomsday cult set themselves ablaze, taking their lives in the world's second biggest ritual mass suicide.

Followers of the obscure "Ten Commandments of God" sect gathered in a church 320 km southwest of the capital Kampala and set themselves on fire after several hours of chanting and singing.

But as the residents and the country at large watch the unfolding scenario with awe, the House of Yahweh sect members are upbeat that it was a matter of days before their prophesy was fulfilled.

The members of the sect were still adamant that it's a matter of days before they proved their detractors wrong.

"Let those who laugh do so but they will perish," says Kipchirchir Yahdah, a follower.

The followers who do not believe in the existence of God subscribe to the belief that the House of Yahweh is the only protected place.

"Nations today are searching for peace yet the problems are growing. The following 13 months, the prophet tells us in the book of Yahweh will be the worst time of trouble ever experienced on the face of earth, but there will be groups of people who will not be touched because they have repented," says Sang.

In their September 2006 prophetic word magazine, the followers quote the trouble in Middle East, which they term it "the birth pains" and the deteriorating relationship between Russia and the West as the signs of the beginning of nuclear war.

Though it did not come to pass, the followers of the house of Yahweh believe that September 12 was the beginning of the end of the war through nuclear war that will kill a third of the world's population.

They say that the nuclear will start around the great river Euphrates and the house of Yahweh is only mandated to teach people what they must do to protect themselves.

"But this will not be the end. The end will come 13 months later with four-fifths of the population destroyed," warns Yaaqob Kiplagat, a member of the religious group.

The group has in their bunkers molasses, honey, illegal brew - busaa - and other permissible foodstuff according to their faith.

Mosheh said they have eaten enough food which contains molasses for immunity of which will prevent them from being affected by the nuclear chemicals."

"We have also prepared safe rooms of which are covered with thick paper bags which will absorb the nuclear chemicals."

He said that they have prepared mechanisms that will prevent them from suffocation while in those bunkers.

They say molasses and honey prevent the nuclear radiation from affecting the body.

The sect members have weird predictions and strongly prophesise that they will come to pass. They believe that milk from cows injected with genetically engineered hormones will enable human beings to give birth to twins.

They also predict that menstruation in female will become optional in the near future.

Yaaqob says the book of Yahweh is the original version of the holy book.

"Furthermore, we do not call it the bible, we call it the book of Yahweh because the bible means Babylon which is a place of idol worship," he says.

Yaaqob whose original name was Wesley Kipkemoi Langat said he changed his name because he did not know the meaning of Wesley but Yaaqob means a planter.

"There is no need of calling yourself names that you do not know what they mean, you can even call yourself a dog and you do not know." He said.

They also believe that a church means a place of burial.

"In all the roofs of churches you see crosses and when you go to the cemetery you see the same, so that means a church is a place of burial," interjects Sang.

Sang told people not to confuse them with a church because they are not a church but the House of Yahweh.

He adds that since he joined the House of Yahweh he has never been sick. He says one cannot fall sick if one follows the 613 laws of Yahweh. "If one breaks even one, one becomes sick," he says.

"I have never been sick since I joined the House of Yahweh six years ago because I follow all the laws."

Meanwhile, the members are going on with their daily chores as they wait for the end of the world.

But Likia officer commanding station Shadrack Charo said the police will continue to monitor the group's activities to avoid cases of mass suicide after the prophecy failed to materialise.

"We do not want a repeat of what happened in Uganda when members of a cult killed themselves because of their beliefs. We will continue to monitor the situation," he said.

The adherents have also used charcoal and salt to purify the air in the bunkers. This, they say, will help to get rid of impurities.

They also give out tithes, which are sent to Texas in the United States of America, where their leaders live. The two leaders are said to be twins and the sect members refer to them as "witnesses".

The two witnesses, Yisrayl Hawkins and Yaaqob Hawkins send prophetic magazines and books on the teaching on Yoshuah, the messiah, they say.

Most of the sect members have no means of earning a living apart from getting food from their small farms and doing casual jobs.

"I fend for myself and my family by doing casual jobs during the six days the Messiah has said it is dedicated to work," says Yeremiah Rono.