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By Irene Wairimu and Eluah Kinyanjui

A 'miracle of the century' where two pastors were expected to rise from the dead blew in the face of a Nakuru 'apostle' yesterday.

By the time of going to press last night, Patrick Wanjohi and Nyahururu's Francis Ndekei, who died in a road accident last week Monday, were still dead as the dodo.

'Apostle' John Kimani's charismatic church had on Saturday attracted thousands of people who thronged its Nakuru headquarters to witness the century.

Nakuru-based Pastor Wanjohi Wanja and Nyahururu's Ndekei were travelling to Nakuru from a church event in Nairobi when the accident occurred at around 10pm.

The two were the immediate assistants of the head of the Kingdom Seekers Fellowship church, 'Apostle' Kimani.

The church operates under auspices of the Mission of the Body Christ International.

Kimani, its spiritual leader, had promised that February 20 would be the day when the duo will be "raised from the dead".

He proclaimed their death was the work of the devil and ordered the worshippers to fast and pray for three days starting last Wednesday for the pastors' resurrection.

A pastor, Stephen Mulungi, had travelled from Uganda to preside over the special prayers service.

Kimani said before inviting Mulungi to start the rituals: "We cannot accept the two to leave us because they will leave the church of God very weak, so we have decided that we will not take them to the grave but sit and wait for the Lord's intervention."

An estimated 2,000 people were present and most of the church's faithful had been expecting them to resurrect on the third day of the fast like Jesus did after three days.

Nakuru Town MP Lee Kinyanjui was among the thousands of people who attended the service.

Kinyanjui however left immediately before the prayers to raise the dead began.

"It is not up to me to comment on their ability to raise the dead or their lack there of, that would be improper," the MP told journalists.

"The dead ministers were my constituents just like their faithful are so it is the natural thing for me to be with them at their time of mourning."

Pastor Mulungi tore at the media, accusing those who had come there of mocking their faith in the gospel of Christ.

Torrential rains that pounded the town for most of Saturday afternoon did not stop the prayers that at one point threatened to turn into a stampede when ushers opened up the caskets in readiness for the 'resurrection'.

By late evening, the exhausted faithful were almost ready to give up on their elusive miracle as it slowly became apparent that there would be no resurrection despite the fervent prayers and intonations in 'spiritual' tongues.

One by one, they started trickling out of the church grounds prompting their leader to get up to the pulpit and admit defeat.

The last of those who had attended the strange ceremony finally gave up and left the church grounds at 9pm.