Almost a year later, Joseph Hellon, Esther Arunga and Quincy Timberlake seem to have had a
massive fallout

By Grace Kerongo

It's almost a year after the controversy that snared ex-TV anchor Esther Arunga, saxophonist Joseph Hellon and rapper Quincy Timberlake hit the proverbial fan.

Esther Arunga shocked many fans when she made the decision to dump her fiance just weeks ahead of their planned wedding, under advice from leaders of the Finger of God cult.

She then went ahead to quit her job at KTN - a job she had described on her Facebook page as, "The best job ever, I love my job"

Esther then refused to go back home even after the police were called by her concerned parents to get her from Runda, where musician Joseph Hellon, the Church leader lives.

(Veronica Agape, Joseph Hellon, his wife Wagikuyu and Quincy Timberlake's former bodyguard Joel Masiga on Tuesday when they visited the Star office.)

At the time Hellon told the world with Esther by his side that she was old enough to make her own choices.

The controversy caused quite a social commotion with many people thinking the trio had lost their senses.

Now Hellon has come out to speak about the controversy describing the whole affair as "a well-planned, elaborate con carried out on me, Arunga, and the Finger Of God congregation."

Quincy meanwhile is keeping silent and refusing to comment on the affair. Attempts to reach him failed when he refused to respond to calls and messages.

The musician turned spiritual leader spoke in detail about his interaction with Quincy, and when it finally dawned on him that he had been had.

Hellon first met Quincy in childhood. Quicy's family lived 100 metres from Hellon's mother's Kokuro village home, located a few kilometers from Awendo Town in Nyanza Province. Quincy was raised by his grandparents Joel and Rael Madanji.

The two were deskmates since class two at Kokuro Primary School. Back then, Quincy was registered in the school as Joginda Singh. Since then, Quincy has gone by many aliases.

When he was in Kanda King's band he was a Congolese known as Dezato, and to the late rapper Krupt, he was Fizzle Dogg. Now with Hellon he goes by Quincy Wambita Zuma Timberlake.
In an exclusive interview this week, Hellon came clean about all the too good to be true deals that he was sucked into Quicy's orbit by.

The first deal that grabbed Hellon's attention was a contract with Pepsi Cola, the deal was further sweetened by an acting deal with Hollywood actor Mel Gibson and finally an interview on Larry King Live's show on CNN.

"When Quincy came to me he told me he had a contact at the Pepsi Cola Company in the USA and they would be interested in sponsoring my jazz career. Immediately, I started receiving phone calls from people saying they were Pepsi's managers for Africa. I could see the number was South African for real and so I believed."

Even when soon afterwards Quincy went to prison and was released on bail, after a case of obtaining money through false pretence, Hellon stuck by him.

"When he got out, I told him 'Look, let's get on with Pepsi Cola deal' and he told me all these court cases were slowing the deal down. That is when I started thinking there must be something wrong.

"The various people who called never wanted to meet in person. When after a while nothing happened, it occurred to me that the many Pepsi Cola managers, and others who claimed to be Larry King and Mel Gibson had been inventions of Quincy Timberlake all along.

"If it wasn't for the way things happened early last year (the raids and court cases) we would have discovered this a lot earlier.

"It was hardly a month after meeting him that we got raided and arrested and now we have been saddled with the legal aspect of everything. We have bills and lawyers to pay and our names to clear.

"So basically, attention shifted from him. That gave him a lot of time to work with whomever his accomplices were to keep us deceived. And I do admit we were fully deceived."

The final confrontation leading to the breakup between Hellon and Quicy took place on December 8 last year.

"When I asked him about all the deals that never happened, he became upset and said he was leaving.

"One of the reasons I had believed him initially was because Quincy never hid details of his former life or on how he earned his money.

"He convinced us he needed help. He wanted to be part of the church as well," explained Hellon.

Hellon claims that Quincy somehow managed to hack into his e-mail and pretend he was the televangelist Benny Hinn and order Hellon's Finger of God church to do various things.

"Finger of God had been partners with the Benny Hinn ministries for many years. And Benny Hinn used to send us letters every month. How Quincy was able to somehow hack into that mail to the extent that instead of getting mail from Benny Hinn we got it from him, we don't know.

The wording, format and message was the same.

"We were oblivious, thinking we were still receiving original messages from Benny Hinn. We only realised this was not the case towards mid-last year."

During his 12-month stay with Quincy at his Runda and later Kitisuru homes, Hellon said he began to notice the "peculiar habits" of his erstwhile friend.

"We started to realise that he regularly destroyed or got rid of his computer hard drives. This got us wondering what is he trying to hide," Hellon said.

After the confrontation with Hellon, Quincy left the house in Kitisuru that Hellon, his wife Wagikuyu, Esther Arunga and a female UN employee friend of theirs shared and he rented a place of his own in New Kitisuru.

Later on December 12 a blog claiming to detail the gang rape of a Finger of God congregation member allegedly posted online by fellow Finger of God member, Veronica Agape. These claims have since been denied by Agape who says she suspects that an imposter posted the blog to hurt Hellon.

Hellon, his wife Wagikuyu and Veronica Agape recorded statements at CID headquarters on Tuesday, in which they threatened to sue Quincy.

By Grace Kerongo - The Star 'Word Is'

Controversial Finger of God church founder Joseph Hellon has denied claims that he raped a member of his church.

This comes after the allegations were posted in the blog www. agapehellon.blogspot.com saying that he had repeatedly raped Veronica Agape.

Hellon, who was accompanied by Veronica Agape and his wife Wagikuyu for the interview with Word Is, yesterday said he had reported the matter to the CID for further investigations.

Veronica also denied creating the blog.

Hellon confirmed that he has fallen out with former buddy Quincy Timberlake and that he has quit the Placenta Party. He was set to be the party's presidential candidate in the 2012 polls.

According to the jazz musician, the big fallout came after the "utopic promises" made by Quincy failed to come to fruition.

Quincy had approached Hellon with a deal allegedly from Pepsi Cola, claiming that the soft drink company was interested in signing him (Hellon) as brand ambassador and all he had to do was feature Quincy in the videos of his songs. Quincy also told Hellon that Irish American film actor and producer Mel Gibson wanted to feature him (Hellon) in one of his movies.

Another unfulfilled promise was getting an interview with legendary CNN talk show host Larry King. Quincy also claimed that Sarah Palin was to pay for Esther Arunga's child delivery bills - all promises never materialised.

Esther gave birth at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, on December 27.

Hellon apologised to the public over the Esther Arunga saga.

He also said that he had reconciled with Arunga's parents and that he was working on a way to reunite her with her family.

Former KTN anchor Esther Arunga (right) has topped the list of Chaguo La Teeniez Awards in the Role Model of the Year category. Esther grabbed media headlines in the past week after she quit her job, broke her engagement to fiance Wilson Malaba and was arrested on charges of being a member of an illegal society.

However, David Ngaruiya, the co-founder of the Teen Awards, said the list making the rounds in the Internet is not the final list. "The final list will be released on March 2," Ngaruiya said, adding "The nomination process took place in 2009 from January to December."

Meanwhile, Esther is set to run for Vice President come 2010 alongside Joseph Hellon who has declared that he will be running for the top seat. It is yet to be established what party they will run on.

In the Role Model category, other nominees include Daniel Ndambuki a.k.a Churchill, Wahu Kagwi, John Allan Namu and Jua Cali.

On the nomination list, Kiss 100's Shaffie and Kalekye's show Rush Hour is nominated for the Teeniez' Most Hype Show and Teeniez' Blazin' FM Station.

As Kenyans reel from the incredible revelations that top television personality Esther Arunga has been ensnared in the activities of the hitherto unheard-of so-called Finger of God Church, weirder details are emerging that may make even the hardest of red-light district operatives blush.

According to a woman who has been in the church and who has since left after realizing that she was headed the direction that is the exact opposite of what she had been made to believe was towards a more rewarding life, for one to be accepted in the church that she says is actually a sect, one has to insert his finger in the privates parts of a woman in a bizarre act that in all descriptions and purposes is a pornographic initiation rite.

It is from this that the cult derives its finger of God name. Indeed, it is said, the worship in the church is nothing but partying that ends up in out of control sex orgies. Finger of sex church, sources say, would be the appropriate name of the church. The church at Runda Estate has eight bedrooms making it the only known church of its kind in Kenya, with live-in adherents partially cut off from the main society.

That the church has a thing with sex is illustrated by the fact that its adherents reportedly run sex related businesses. Arunga herself recently opened a spa in Nairobi's Runda area which apart from offering hairdo and beauty services it offers other services.

In Nairobi, spas are pseudonyms for brothels as apart from sauna hot baths, they also offer sex services with beautiful and nude girls who are permanently stationed in the spas ostensibly to offer massage.

One of the earliest followers of the Finger of God in Kenya Seanice Kacungira who until early this year was a presenter at Capital FM, has now opened a spa of her own in Kampala near the gates of the US Embassy and it is suspected that she is now on missionary assignment to fish more adherents in Kampala.

Capital FM intriguingly seems to be the media home of the finger church as the church's leader Joseph Omondi Hellon has been holding prayers called morning evolution sessions for staff every Wednesday. What remains unknown is whether the station's owner Chris Kirubi aka DJ CK has given a nod to the church although it is highly unlikely that anything can go on a weekly basis in his pet project radio station without his knowledge.

Incidentally, Arunga started her media career at Capital FM she presented the Saturday morning rock music show.

Capital FM also happens to be a rich fishing ground of the church as it has won the hearts and minds of Anne Kiguta, Cess Mutungi and Everline Wanbui. KTN's Isabella Kituri is an usher in the church and has flatly refused to quit even after the human resource manager at KTN called her after the saga exploded and asked her to either choose the church or her job. Kituri lost her husband barely two years into marriage and experts have pointed out that she is just the right target for cultists as she might be vulnerable and gullible.

Lillian Muli of KTN is said to have been a member but left after a brief stay. Others in KTN who were approached but declined are Esther Kahumbi and Cynthia Nyamai. It is not known whether Esther Kahumbi turned down the offer. Mwenda Kiogoria attends. Linus Kaikai was once seen driving to the residence following the David Makali's vehicle. Makali is Omondi's music promoter. K24's Luois Otieno and True Love's Carol Mandi have been targeted as was Daniel Ndambuki aka Churchil alias Mwalimu King'ang'i.

At NTV, Jamila Mbugua is said to be a member while Peninah Karibe has been approached by Arunga. Apart from holding prayers at Runda, the members also congregate at the Lenana Conference Centre at Kilimani opposite DOD.

Others in the church that seems to derive most of its following from the media and entertainment industry are musician Kanji Mbugua and music producer Big Kev and events organizer Big Ted. Daughter of minister Anyang Nyong, Lupita Nyong'o is also alleged to have been approached. Classic FM's Maina Kageni is said to be a member. Jackson Makini alias Rakim Ngechu aka Prezzo was approached declined because he is a muslim.

At a press conference organized by Makali who owns the Sound Africa music company that has signed Omondi who is a saxophonist in a class of his own, Omondi declared that he will run for the presidency in 2012 with Arunga as his running mate. Now if anyone needed proof that this is a cult, that was it as it is only a deluded Omondi and Arunga who can imagine that they can become prezzy and VP in 2012.

Cults are known to specialise in self-belief antics that make their followers live in a dream world that they believe is real. In TV interview with K24's Jeff Koinange, Arunga compared herself with biblical Esther and said that she is the one who is going to save Kenya.

So blinded is Arunga that e-mails were sent from the next room to hers and she believed they were coming from international evangelist Benny Hinn who has since disowned the e-mails one of which is seen as the stroke that broke the camel's back as it instructed Arunga to dump the boyfriend, Wilson Malaba whom she was going to marry in April for Omondi's friend one Wambiti who has changed his name to Quincy Timberlake taking a name from global musical icon Quincy Jones and another from superstar Justin Timberlake.

To add insult to injury, Timberlake was made pastor of the church. With his woman gone, the man, Wilson Malaba started spilling the beans of the church that he was also a member of. It is worth noting that Arunga broke another engagement and called off the marriage that was supposed to take place in October last year.

Another time, a man invited her to Mombasa after lying to her that he was a big shot in a blue chip company only for her to realize that the boy was jobless and lived with his mother and had no house of his own. The boy never took her to his home and she stayed in a hotel room.

But even as Arunga last week' projected her mid-range future plans, others were worried about her immediate future with her thousands of admirers sympathizing with her for resigning from her enviable job into the vagaries of tarmacking.

Controversial Jazz maestro Joseph Hellon and five followers were on Monday arraigned in a Nairobi Court and charged with being members of unlawful society, the Finger of God Church.

Mr Hellon was accused alongside Quincy Zuma Timberlake, who is linked to former television news anchor Esther Arunga.

Others in court were Samuel Onyango, Fredrick Onyango, Vincent Onyango, Grace Njii and Veronica Agape Koteng'o.

But the six through lawyer Harun Ndubi declined to plead to the accusations, saying the charge did not disclose any offence.

“The charge as framed does not disclose any offence. It is illegal and I urge the court not to admit it,'' he said.

The advocate told Nairobi Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei that his clients had not committed any crime for the church to be declared illegal.

“There is nothing wrong they have done for the church to be considered unlawful,'' he argued.

He explained that the church was registered back in 2002 adding they have a right to worship and associate as they wished.

Mr Ndubi claimed that the investigation officer had continued to detain the registration certificate “in order to deny accused persons justice''.

But the prosecution asked Mr Mutembei to disregard the objections and admit the charge saying the information contained therein was sufficient and discloses an offence as provided and the Criminal Procedure Code.

“Your honour I urge the court to disregard the objections raised by the defence lawyer. It is clear from the particulars of the charge that there is an offence committed by the accused persons and I urge you to admit the charge so that they can answer to the charges,” Superintendent C K Towett urged the court.

The accused were remanded in custody until Tuesday when Mr Mutembei will decide whether to dismiss or admit the charge against them.

If found guilty, the court heard, the accused could serve a one year jail term or pay a fine of not more than Sh5 million.

The accused were arrested on Sunday over their involvement in a religious organisation with suspicious background.

The activities of the church have been in the public limelight after the former KTN news anchor Ms Arunga ditched her work and joined the church.

Police raided Mr Hellon's house in Gigiri at 2am on Sunday and arrested the two and other followers of the controversial Finger of God ministry based in Nairobi's Runda estate.

The suspects were locked up in various police stations in Nairobi. Ms Arunga who spent Sunday night at Muthaiga police station was released on Monday morning on a police bond.

According to police sources, she might be used as a prosecution witness in the case.

By Isaac Ongiri

Police arrested former KTN presenter Esther Arunga at 2 am yesterday morning. Efforts were being made to release her into her mother's custody as she was not feeling well.

Esther was arrested with seven other people and two underage girls at the house on the Runda estate used by the Finger of God church. Among those arrested were saxophonist Joseph Hellon, Apostle of the Finger of God church, and Quincy Timberlake, the suspected mastermind behind the Benny Hinn emails.

"We have Esther and three others here in custody to investigate cases reported to us. From here we shall take them to the CID headquarters for them to record statements," Kasarani OCPD Leonard Omollo said at Muthaiga Police Station yesterday.

"All are Kenyans," said Omollo confirming none of them was a foreigner.

Esther and the two young girls spent 12 hours in the Muthaiga police cells while Hellon, Quincy and" other church members were held at Gigiri. Around 2 pm they were all taken to CID head-quarters where they recorded statements with head of Serious Crimes Unit Henry Ndombi.

Clad in a denim jeans, white sandals, a red long sleeved T-shirt, black jacket and spectacles, a composed Esther was led to a waiting green Land Rover from Muthaiga to be driven to CID headquarters.

Her parents, relatives and friends flocked the Muthaiga police station but did not speak to the media. Her mother was in a pensive mood. Hellon's wife also visited the station.

Lawyer Harun Ndubi said Esther and the others had been arrested for belonging to an unlawful society. He expressed optimism that his clients including Esther would be released on police bond as they wait to appear before court.

Meanwhile, new information is emerging about Quincy who was due to marry Esther after she broke off her engagement to Wilson Malaba two weeks ago.

In December Quincy joined the Runda residence of the Finger of God, claiming to have just returned from the UK. Around that time, Hellon started receiving emails from Pastor Benny Hinn who he recognises as his spiritual leader.

Last week the Benny Hinn ministries, based in California, told the Star they have no knowledge of Hellon, Quincy Timberlake or Finger of God.

The emails from 'Hinn' encouraged Hellon to use Quincy as your "bridgestone to the future" saying that "Quincy is the 123rd brightest personality on earth as per God's wisdom is concerned".

'Hinn' said "I enforced a spirit into him to handle Esther, the heartbroken girl since Esther has been secretly liking him for a long time".

'Hinn' also advised Hellon to run for President with Esther as his running mate, and to disband the church and fast for 100 days after the police started investigating the Finger of God two weeks ago.

Other sources said that Quincy told Hellon that Pepsi had cancelled its annual 60 million pound (Sh7.8 billion) sponsorship deal with Tiger Woods and convinced Hellon that he could be the replacement.

Reportedly Quincy convinced Hellon and Esther that her fiance Wilson was a Freemason and intended to make her a human sacrifice on Valentine's Day. She then cancelled the marriage and 'Hinn' advised that she should then marry Quincy.

Wilson has denied that he is a mason or that he would harm Esther.

Yesterday The Star went to a house at Komarock in Eastlands and met a woman who claimed to be the wife of Quincy. Salome Gideon said she had two children with Quincy with whom she had been living for 11 years.

She was shocked to hear that 'Hinn' had ordered him to marry Esther. She said she had not spoken to him for one week. She tried calling him today but his phone was off.

Salome said that she had not met Esther but she knew she lived at Hellon's house. She said Hellon was a childhood friend of Quincy whom she said had travelled to Britain in the past. She refused to reveal Quincy's original name.

The wannabe musician has worked under different personas.

Dance star Kanda King said he knew him as a Congolese by the stage name Dezato.

"I recruited him to my band in 2004 and he was my keyboard player for a year and a half before I fired him," Kanda said.

He described Quincy, who now claims to be half South African and half Kenyan, as "very sharp. Everything I talked about he knew."

"He was a very strange guy. He told me that he would hook up our band with a UK tour contract. What I came to find out eventually was that he had created emails and was communicating with me as the hotel manager organising the said UK tours," Kanda said.

"I housed him throughout that period," Kanda said. "But I had to throw him out and fire him from the band when I found out that he had told my wife I was being unfaithful when we go for
gigs"

A cyber cafe owner, who asked to remain anonymous, formed a friendship with Quincy and sold him a computer and a modem for his home.

Quincy is said to have been living in the UK with a British passport and to have returned to Kenya in December after contacting Hellon on Facebook.

However the cyber cafe owner say he met Quincy in August 2009.

"To us he was half-cast with a Congolese mum and a Luo dad but he never talked Dholuo. He tried an email scam on my friend where he posed as a UK visa official but we traced back the email to the IP address of the computer he was using. I confronted him with the information in November. Since then he hasn't been back to the cyber cafe," the man said.

By Grace Kerongo and Pauline Odhiambo

Friends and family have been flocking to the home of ex-KTN presenter Esther Arunga's parents in Kileleshwa since news of her joining the Finger of God church was revealed.

Esther's father Bob Arunga, a retired consultant who once worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday told The Star that he would soon be speaking out on his daughter's recent affairs but asked the media to give his family time to deliberate over their next move.

"We're really suffering. It's a pity what is going on now with Esther and we're praying that it will all work out well eventually," he said.

"We are grateful for what The Star has highlighted so far on our daughter but we're not ready to speak to any media at the moment because we have to protect Esther. It's a very delicate issue and my wife and are willing to speak exclusively to The Star when we are ready," he said.

Two weeks ago the TV presenter broke her engagement to fiance Wilson Malaba, having resigned from her high-profile job at KTN in January and turned her back on most of her friends. She has distanced herself from her family since last week and even had a lawyer present when she met her mother for lunch on Wednesday.

Esther has been living fulltime since March last year at the house in the upmarket Nairobi Runda estate of the Apostle of The Finger Of God Church, saxophonist and Tusker Project Fame instructor Joseph Hello, and following his instructions.

The house is used for monthly entertainment events called Starry Jazz nights. But it is regularly frequented by Finger of God followers who go to consult Hellon.

A mysterious figure called Quincy Timberlake, who says he is half Kenyan and half South African, also lives in the Runda house. He was recently elevated to Apostle in the church by an email from "Benny Hinn".

Yesterday the deputy general secretary of the National Council of Churches, Oliver Kisaka Simiyu, said the Finger Of God is not one of the 600 churches registered under the NCCK. "It therefore cannot be classified as a church under Kenyan law "A cult is a group whose doctrine or teaching differs from the orthodox teaching of Christ," said Simiyu.

"There are five major warning signs that a church you are attending is a cult. One, it is often led by a very charismatic character who has the power to hire and fire. Two, they follow other spiritual material or word of a 'messenger from God' other than the Bible," Simiyu said.

"Three, they often look to convert the already 'saved' Christians. What they do is offering them a religion that makes them feel the faith they have is not sufficient. Four, a cult does not allow its members to criticise; the word of the spiritual leader is final. If they differ with the leader they are immediately excommunicated".

Simiyu added: "And finally, five, it is difficult for the members to leave. This is mainly because it isolates the members from the sober voices of their family and friends enabling an atmosphere where they can be brainwashed."

An inside source said the family is worried about Esther and have decided to change their approach.

"They have realised that she is not herself," the source said. "After the press conference outburst on Thursday, the family decided to go into prayer and have opted not to confront her because that won't help anymore."

At the press conference, Hellon said he was planning to stand for President in 2012 with Esther as his running mate.

A friend who worked with Esther at Capital FM said, "The girl I saw on TV is not the same one I worked with back then. She is different."

In the last two days there has reportedly been a mass exodus of members of the Finger of God after the church was exposed as a cult.

The members are currently on a 100-day fast and not attending church following instructions by email from "Benny Hinn".

Yesterday the Star exclusively revealed that the genuine Benny Hinn Ministries deny all knowledge of the cult.

"When word got out that Benny Hinn has disowned the said emails, the members decided to leave the church," a source said.

Many Finger Of God members come from the media and entertainment industry. They are mostly young females and upwardly mobile.

"It seems that he is targeting the finer class. If the church is promising to fill up a vacuum, I hope it is doing so in a Christ like way. But that is also a tell tale signs that it is a cult," said Simiyu.

Simuyu described the special communion of the Finger of God combining wine, bread and salt twice a day as "not alarming."

"But you should be aware that these practices lead to a culture where the followers develop a holier than thou attitude which effectively leads to them been brainwashed," he said.

Clarification

In our headline story titled 'Benny Hinn Disowns Esther Cult', we quoted Cabinet Minister Njeru Githae complaining about the Finger of God house which neighbours him in Runda.

Unfortunately a second quote talking about attending jazz nights at the house erroneously was attributed to the minister. It actually came from a prominent Nairobi lawyer. We regret this misleading impression and apologise to the minister for any embarrassment caused.

When Esther Arunga walked into the press conference room on Thursday to set the record straight, she was a new woman.

The humble and sweet face that united Kenyans in loving her was gone and, in its place, was a blank stare. The sweet voice that wooed us all to watch the news religiously was no more. A more aggressive, almost combatant voice, had taken residence instead.

She wore a look that loudly exclaimed: “Good girl gone”.

For someone who viciously protected her private life, Esther Arunga was sparing no words to express her disappointment with what she described as ‘‘stupid journalism’’ and garbage reporting.

Full of contempt, Arunga, dressed in all black, could not explain why she chose to live with a married man in his house while she could afford to live comfortably on her own.

“I am almost 30 and I can live wherever I want,” she said spinning her neck.

Some questions she did not even have to answer. “That’s a stupid question,’’ she shot back.

The irony was that one of the most notable faces on television was talking trash about the media in general which she was a part of until a week ago and quit because “I wasn’t being paid enough.”

But she contradicted herself severally, telling the media that she quit because of a low salary but later saying she will sue the media but not for financial gain.

“You can keep your money,” she yelled.

Nobody knows how much money she is making by being the director of Hellon’s music company which handles all of his live performances to make her quit her job.

But, once in a while, the girl that Kenyans came to love would jump from behind the stern look and smile or say something but this would be hurled back to where it came from.

As Hellon talked, she agreed to every word he said while his wife was seated next to him silent only smiling occasionally.

The moment of the week came when she went hard on her ex-fiancé, Wilson Malaba, whom she accused of cheating on her and not having his finances in order.

Two cancelled wedding ceremonies in one year. Arunga said her first wedding was affected by long distance and, of course, the most recent one was because of infidelity. She called off both weddings.

Asked whether it was true Hellon had, through his spiritual dad in the US (said to be Benny Hinn) given her someone to love, she said “Not true” and changed the subject.

As for Hellon, he was not offended by all the negative publicity about his church or dealings with Arunga. He said the media had helped him launch his political career.

“No news is bad news,” he told a packed press conference and in what can only be said to be a brilliant way to divert all the attention, he decided to announce his candidature for the 2012 presidency with Esther as his running mate.

That statement caught her by surprise but she played along well.

Asked why he was not fazed by all the publicity, Hellon said: “I want to lead a country of 40 million people, so such a small story cannot scare me.”

Esther has since deleted her facebook account.

Enter Wilson Malaba, the man at the centre of it all - Esther’s ex-fiancé.

Although he won’t admit it, Wilson Malaba is a very distraught man. Up until Sunday, February 7, it was all systems go for the couple’s wedding plans.

In fact, on that Sunday, Wilson’s family visited the Arunga family at their home in Kileleshwa to firm up the plans.

The following day (February 8), they spent most of the afternoon together at his office from where Arunga left to read the news on KTN at around 7 p.m.

“From that point everything was okay until the following evening when I started receiving SMSs from Hellon about how I killed his child, how I was planning to kill Esther in a road accident, and my expulsion from the church,” said Wilson.

He tried to call Esther but she wouldn’t answer his calls or reply to his SMSs. The only one that came from her was the one breaking their engagement, saying it was from guidance from Esther’s spiritual father (Hellon).

She also accused him of having a wife and two children in South B estate.

“The accusations of killing someone or plotting to kill my fiancee were very disturbing and that is why I decided to inform the authorities,” says Wilson.

Wilson also denies having any children and even offers to put up a paid newspaper advert asking anyone who has his child to come out in public.

“It’s all totally false and I am willing to go the entire length including the advert and doing DNA tests to prove that I have not fathered any child,” he said with an anger laden voice.

Wilson was at the Kilimani Police Station when Hellon was brought in to record a statement. With Hellon were Esther Arunga and Quincy Timberlake.

Wilson says that Esther refused to talk to him. Hellon was arraigned in a Kibera court and was released on a cash bail of Sh20,000.

Since then, Esther has refused to leave Hellon’s house in Runda and only appeared in public at the press conference on Thursday. According to Wilson, she wasn’t even accessible to her parents who have been very worried about her.

Wilson and Esther met in early 2008 but at that time, Esther was engaged to someone else, a pilot. However, it was only after Arunga broke her engagement with the pilot in October of 2008 when she and Wilson became an item.

At the time of their meeting, Esther Arunga was already a member of the Finger of God Ministries International – the church in question.

“It is Esther who persuaded me to join and I did so in May last year,” he recalls.

Wilson was already a pastor, ordained at the Redeemed Gospel Church, although he was not actively preaching. Naturally, he found it easy to join the church leadership when invited to do so by Hellon.

“Everything was fine and there was nothing out of the ordinary until some guy called Quincy Timberlake joined,” recalls Wilson.

The official word at the time, and what Hellon repeated at the press conference, was that Quincy was Hellon’s childhood friend who had just returned from the UK and was back to do music with Hellon and help him run the church.

Later it emerged that Quincy was actually sent by famous televangelist Benny Hinn to help Hellon with the ministry.

According to Wilson, Hellon is not a bad person but has been deceived by Quincy who claims to be a go-between between Hellon and ‘‘Benny Hinn’’.

Emails purported to be conversations between ‘‘Benny Hinn’’ and Hellon, and which have been seen by Buzz, appear to be a conversation between the two.

From the emails, it appears as though Pastor Hinn was giving daily advice to Hellon including advising Hellon against Wilson and Esther’s marriage.

Instead, in one of the emails, Pastor Hinn advises Esther to marry Quincy.

According to Wilson, he got the emails from a former member of the church who was fired by Hellon when she complained about his association with the women staying in his house.

The lady in question happened to have had Hellon’s password and is willing to stand by the allegations in public. We have since established the identity of the lady but nothing different has come forth.

At the press conference, however, Hellon rubbished the authenticity of the emails branding them ‘‘fake’’ and being used to tarnish his name and that of the organisation.

He says that Pastor Hinn has been his spiritual father since 1996.

On Friday, a Nairobi newspaper reported that ‘‘Benny Hinn’’ had denied knowledge of Hellon or even his ministry.

Also, it has to be noted that opening an email in someone’s name is very easy and someone could have easily opened an email account pretending to be Hinn.

So, did Hellon believe that he was talking to the real Hinn when it could have been someone with the fake email even next door to him?

“That’s possible and I want to insist that Hellon could have been deceived,” adds Wilson.

The ogre in all this is one Quincy Timberlake aka Fizzle Dogg.

His identity is closely guarded and even those who know him are unwilling to divulge information. Buzz learnt that this is the same man who had in 2003 walked into Ogopa Dj offices claiming to be a South African national interested in a collabo with K-Rupt.

Several weeks into the deal, sources say, his dealings became dodgy and Ogopa suspended any further association with the “big name from SA asking K-Rupt to relook the arrangement.

Weeks later K-Rupt died and Fizzle Dogg vanished.

Kiss FM’s Shaffie Weru remembers the artiste but says he was too inconsistent to be believed, “if he is the same guy then I wouldn’t take him seriously,” says Shaffie; “He could do anything to become famous.”

One time entertainment journalist Dan Teng’o vaguely remembers the artiste but cannot recognise him now.

Who exactly is Quincy?

Why is he the man, according to the emails, better placed to marry Esther? Is Hellon too gullible to recognise the tell- tale signs of a con game?

An anonymous source told Buzz that Quincy is indeed a Kenyan national. A car sale deal transacted in 2003 places Quincy’s identity in question.

If he came back to Kenya only last December, why is it that he lived in Golden Gate, South B, in 2003 driving a Mitsubishi Lancer bought locally.

Why is it that every communication he has with the supposed ‘‘Benny Hinn’’ is on g-mail or text? Why is it that on the official website of all the celebs he says he has dated and courted, no one knows him?

Event organiser Big Kev says Quincy is the cause of all the grief but adds that he has never met him even though True Blaq entertainment has his questionable profile alongside that of K-Rupt on their site.

Wilson Malaba says Quincy is the problem but does not have a picture of him and has never met him.

Who is saying the truth? By the time of going to press Buzz had conclusively unwrapped the mystery that is Quincy. He is not what he wants people to believe he is.

He is the same wannabe who has lived and played with Lingala musicians locally.

Senior pastors at Benny Hinn’s crusade in Kampala have confirmed that Bishop Arthur Kitonga is their official contact in Kenya. What happens to the angel and the Saxophonist?

Reporting by Philip Mwaniki, TKB, John Muchiri and Adhyambo Odera

Even as a schoolboy at Starehe Boys’ Centre, Nimrod Omondi mesmerised not just with his jazz skills but lively performance in Alice in Wonderland.

Now Pulse brings you the ‘wonderland’ to occult- nature that his dream has become. As they say if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck its probably a duck!

Outside, the house built in Texan stucco style, two storeys tall, whitewashed and with scenic little floral arrangements all appears calm.

A tree that sways in the cool breeze shows no signs of the strange on-goings that have been rocking its interiors.

The fair and comely former TV queen Esther

Arunga has been holed up with jazz star Joseph Hellon in this plush home at Runda for months– ostensibly running a Church. The Finger of God Ministries (yes that’s the name), which was formed three years ago, has hitherto attracted top celebrities including Debbie Asila, Big Kev, Wilson Malaba, Angela Ndambuki, Angela Mwandada and Odada Okello who was a youth pastor, among others. We understand Big Ted attended a few meetings in the Finger Of God Ministries and opted to remain in his old church. Almost a year ago, Esther joined the congregation and duly moved into Hellon’s house.

A few other newscasters almost joined the church. All has been run smooth and no one was suspicious of the church which has been growing fast steadily. In the last three years it had attracted 500 members. It is at this church that Wilson Malaba met Esther Arunga and the two soon became an item. After dating for one year– with Esther operating from Hellon’s house throughout– they got engaged.

A few weeks ago Wilson went public about their upcoming wedding in April. A week later one of the girls living in Hellon’s house took off from the house. She would later narrate to youth pastor Odada Okello how Hellon; the senior pastor; was not only mentoring them but involving them in sexual acts.

Alarm bell rang and Okello called Esther’s fiancÈ- Malaba informing him of the transgressions.

"Odada called me and told me that he had been informed that Hellon was engaging in sex with the girls at his residence. I decided to call Esther and requested her to leave the house immediately," says Wilson.

As soon as he was done with the conversation with Esther, Hellon called him, immediately informing that he had been suspended from Church alongside Odada and another member named Mark Bichache.

The Runda home where Hellon and his wife Kuyu shared with Esther and other faithfuls.
"He was abusive and warned us of dire consequences and sent me a text claiming that I killed his son two years ago," said Wilson.

A disappointed Wilson showed us text messages sent to him by Hellon, which read: Benny Hinn and I have been talking and the Lord has revealed these things through our talks. Your wedding is nullified. You can’t fight against the Lord and succeed!

Another read: You are hereby banned from church and from our compound. Breach of this will lead to your arrest. Watch out for the Lord has found you out and is now fighting you himself! You sacrificed my boy last year but one. You have a wife in South B with 2 kids. You’ve spoken to Zahra so as to sacrifice Esther through a road accident. You’ve been demanding for sex from Esther. You have her logbook. You’ve been asking her to demand 500k that she put in people music and to sell her shares to you at the spa!

Wilson sued Hellon for the above false texts and was arraigned in Kibera court. He was released on cash bail of Sh20, 000.

Hellon admitted that he sent the texts to Wilson.

"Yes, I nullified his wedding and he got angry," admitted Hellon in a telephone interview.

The fallout was triggered when Wilson asked Esther to leave Hellon’s Runda residence but she would have none of that; opting instead to end her long time relationship with Wilson.

"Hellon lied and he knows that his wife had a still birth and I don’t have a wife or kids," explains Wilson.

"Esther has even been urged to leave the house by the family and has remained steadfast. In fact her parents are worried about her," he adds.

But Esther denies that saying that she had lunch with her mother on Monday at Sarit Centre and that she is in touch with her other family members.

"My parents know that since March I have lived with Hellon who is a distant relative. I’m 30 years old and I can live where I want. In fact I have left my job because of another better opportunity," she reiterated.

Esther dismissed the allegations saying that she dumped Wilson who is now crying foul. "I just broke off the engagement and he is running all over the place spreading malicious rumours. I have broken another engagement in the past with another ex, so what’s the big deal here?" she posed.

It is alleged that the plot thickened when a certain Quincy joined the church and claimed he was organising Joseph Hellon / Euro Jazz Tour sponsored by Pepsi worth millions. Secret emails also reveal that Hellon was also promised a Jaguar and a jet sometime between now and next year. For Hellon to get all the cash and riches, Quincy was to appear in four of Hellon’s videos, which were released recently. The videos are already reportedly playing in certain TV stations.

Our investigations also revealed emails purportedly from USA pastor Benny Hinn to Hellon urging him to include Quincy in his church committee. The e-mail messages insist that Quincy must always preach before Hellon takes over the pulpit. Another email purportedly from renowned and top selling musician Whitney Houston to Hellon claims that the singer is powerless without Quincy who was her ex-boyfriend.

The purportedly email from Whitney Houston to Hellon read in part: I know you’re serving some powerful thing and I do serve mine too which I think is also all-powerful man. Quincy was almost joining the core of the brotherhood by Jan 25th and you distorted everything. Without him I got no power. Man do me a favour, I need him back and you got US$10,000.

Further Pulse search also came across a copy of a logbook where reportedly Quincy bought a car from a certain Mr Michael Thuo but was unable to pay a balance of Sh50, 000. Consequently, Quincy was not handed the logbook.

The shadowy Quincy Zuma Wambiti Timberlake or just Quincy Timberlake aka Pizzle Dogg was ostensibly supposed to record five songs with the late K-Rupt according Internet sources. He disappeared after K-Rupt’s death only to re-appear.

Wilson told Pulse that Esther has been brainwashed by Hellon and has even taken up the singer’s name. "Esther has disowned her family and has even changed her name to Veronica Hellon," he claims. We are trying to bring her back to her senses," he adds. But Esther refutes the claims saying that Veronica is just their house help.

" I‘ve not changed my name. I’m Esther Arunga," she maintained.

Another email from Benny Hinn read: I see Esther becoming a prominent personality in your government. I like her maturity in live chat, surely she deserves a man and that’s the special gift for her now.

Apostle, disband church until 100 days… change venue.

Pulse understands that the church is indeed a 100-day break since February 11 as ordered by the televangelist.

Another mails yet from the televangelist strangely ordered Hellon to keep off from a certain brand of soda besides informing Hellon that the televangelist intended to kill Wilson though him.

And a supposedly mail chat between Benny Hinn and Hellon went:

Pastor: Great, we are out to kick butts and anuses

Me: In Jesus name no butt will be spared?

Finally, the email between Benny Hinn and Hellon that made Esther leave her job goes like this: My daughter Esther is seated at my table looking beautiful and happy. Dad I feel she shouldn’t go back to KTN and I have told her already. Kindly advice?

Give my wife a beautiful Hebrew name…

Apostle first of all from now on, Kuyu becomes Vineyard Hellon…. Tell Esther to go nowhere for Wilson. That girl loves Quincy no doubt about it and her love is clean but Quincy is being careful to fulfil my commands. I command him to care for Esther no more no less. Agape and Sam goes nowhere but let me study Pauline closely. Ask her to delete Wilson numbers.

As the drama continues there is no doubt for some caught in the thick of things life has surely turned hell-on earth!

Esther Arunga Part 1 of 4



Esther Arunga Part 2 of 4



Esther Arunga Part 3 of 4



Esther Arunga Part 4 of 4

Arunga and Hellon to run for president in 2012

US televangelist Benny Hinn has denied any knowledge of the controversial Finger of God church in Runda which KTN former presenter Esther Arunga joined recently.

"Benny Hinn has been my spiritual leader since 1996," said embattled church leader and saxophone player Joseph Hellon on Wednesday.

Yesterday at a press conference at the Runda house, Hellon went on to declare that he will be standing for President in 2012 with Esther as his running mate.

Controversial emails have been circulating that were allegedly exchanged between Pastor Hinn and Hellon.

The emails purport to be from Benny Hinn instructing Hellon what to do on a daily basis. The emails purportedly from Benny Hinn instructed Hellon to break up Esther Arunga's engagement to her fiance Wilson Malaba in favour of Quincy Timberlake Wambita Zuma who is reportedly now her lover. The Star contacted the Benny Hinn Ministries to enquire if the emails were genuine.

"Firstly, the email address is not Pastor Benny Hinn's and secondly Pastor Benny, if you have listened to any of our programs, would never give advice as suggested in the emails. So the information that you are in possession of are untrue," Hinn's handlers responded.

On Wednesday, Hellon told the Star that a personal assistant whom he recently fired used his passwords to print out the emails to be used against him in a "hate campaign" by disbarred members of his church.

"I know about those emails, they are with my lawyers now," he said.

"Those emails are junk mail. It is unfortunate that the name of someone of Benny Hinn's stature can be brought up in junk mail," he told the press conference yesterday. The press conference was organised by David Makali whose Sound Africa company recently gave Hellon a recording contract.

At the end of the press conference Hellon announced that in 2012 he would be running for president with Esther Arunga as his running mate.

One of the "junk" emails from "Hinn" dated February 11 has a similar prophesy.

"I can see in 2011-12 season you becoming nominated as an MP, out of your music tour globally as there's a neighbouring minister who already hates you for that announcement from the PM Raila camp," the email states.

Another email from "Hinn" on the same day addressed to Hellon states: "I see Esther becoming a prominent personality in government. This is what the parents hate to learn since they think that Esther will never value them seriously anymore."

Yesterday Hellon vehemently defended the integrity of his Finger of God church.

"Before we were registered the CID vetted us for five years to see if we are worthy of the licence," he said. He denied the church was a cult.

"A cult is a secret organisation where people meet in an inaccessible place but we meet in public places. We follow the Bible and have been in operation for three years. The membership has grown significantly and now we have 600 members," he said.

Church members take communion (including wine, bread and salt) twice a day. Hellon was reluctant to comment on the practice saying, "I will not get into details of the dogmatic practices of the church. If you would like to know, come and register."

The newly registered members of the church go through Bible school up to the certificate level, after which they are eligible for baptism by Apostle Hellon.

He also defended the composition of his church members. "I have a lot of media and entertainment people coming to the church because I deal with them daily," he said.

Cabinet minister Njeru Githae who lives next door complained about the monthly Starry Jazz nights.

The minister said, "Hellon, his wife, Esther Arunga and Wanja Gachogu were very instrumental in themed monthly Jazz Nights that were done the last Thursday of every month. Attendance was by invitation by the four of them. I attended the ones for August, September, October and November last year and stopped. Each Jazz night had different themes like, red and black, blue and pink, white and gold.

"I attended the nights from around 8pm till 11pm because on Fridays I had to be in the office. I don't know what times they ended and what happened. For the times I attended, it was purely music, food, water and wine only. The crowd was very elegant and Nairobi's uppity. They were mainly TV anchors, musicians, models and professionals. At no time was I asked to attend their church services. Maybe they have a game plan and they had their own timings of recruitment."

Hellon defended the use of alcohol quoting Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit".

Esther Arunga criticised the journalists' focus on her life as "baying for blood". She threatened to sue three media houses and calling for the firing of the Star journalist Grace Kerongo who broke the story. Esther denied rumours that she is pregnant.

On why she quit her job at KTN, she said, "I had asked for a two weeks leave during the break-up with Wilson. I then went back and resigned for a number of reasons including not being paid enough."

This is the second time that the TV personality has broken off an engagement. Hellon said he stopped the upcoming nuptial between Arunga and her fiance because "Wilson's conduct was contrary to the church's beliefs. He wasn't even a registered member."

Arunga explained, "I broke off the engagement when two girls from the church said he was making sexual passes at them. He also took my logbook to get loans from illegal financiers. He has 15 logbooks (of other people) including mine."

But Wilson Malaba retorted, "This is turning out to be a fiasco. I have been single since 2007. If I was planning to have an affair I would do so then not when I know I'm about to be married."

On the loan sharks and Arunga's log book, he said, "I'm planning to hold a press conference and bring along the documentation for the loan she is talking about and she will know when she will get her car back. The person who offered the loan is a friend of mine and he only offers them to close friends only."

FORMER TV presenter Esther Arunga, who resigned from KTN in a huff last month, is now living in The Finger of God Church in Runda with musician Hellon and several members of his congregation.

She has broken off her engagement and cancelled her wedding due to the wishes of a "spiritual leader from the US" who sends them instructions.

Tusker Project Fame teacher and jazz musician pastor Joseph Nimroo Hellon has denied claims that he runs a cultist church that has entrapped Esther.

What started with a court case in Kibera where Hellon was prosecuted for sending an abusive message to a member of his church has sparked a series of controversial events, including claims that he has targeted several media personalities for recruitment to his church.

Police launched investigations after her parents filed a complaint, but police sources yesterday said it was difficult to prove that the church was a cult.

"We could not prove that the girl (Esther) had been kidnapped or was being held against her will," the CID officer said.

Yesterday Hellon said that all the charges against him are false and malicious.

"A couple of guys in my church started a hate campaign against me after they left and now because their spiritual beliefs were contrary to what the church believes in, they have even started their own church," he said. "The CID investigations against me have been completed and they found out that it was a case of slander and it has been withdrawn."

The saxophonist who talked to The Star yesterday evening said he had been unavailable to answer questions because on Thursday evening, police confiscated his phone and computers for investigation.

"Now that they do not have a case against me or the church, they returned everything to me and withdrew it."

The Finger of God church is known for its middle class followers. The church services are usually held at conference centres in the city.

Hellon said that he has been housing the TV personality for a year now.

He accused his personal assistant for hacking into his email and using the information to slander him.

"I know about those emails, they are with my lawyers now," he said.

In one of the said emails Hellon is promised Sh100,000 to buy land to build the church by a US based televangelist if he follows a set of rules.

The rules demanded that Nigerian musician Quincy Timberlake be made an apostle in the church. In addition Hellon was to record a number of tracks with Timberlake him and make sure they get a lot of media attention.

Other conditions include Hellon throwing out some members of his church from his Runda residence especially those opposed to Quincy and to "never readmit the disfellowshiped apostles."

Sources said it was after this that problems started brewing in the church.

Some members like Esther Arunga's then fiance Wilson Malaba and event Guru Kevin Ombajo were thrown out.

Things took a turn for the worse when the 'US tel-evangelist' prophesied that Quincy is the right husband for the news anchor. CID officers investigating the case said they established that E¬ther and Quincy are lovers.

An inside source claims, "Esther's impending nuptials to Wilson have been put on hold till the whole drama dies down. No final decision can be made because she is not herself and the decisions she is making are out of fear."

On February 11, the police visited the Runda residence looking for the anchor after the family members expressed concern for her safety and well-being.

The following day, in a chat with the televangelist on gmail, Esther admitted that she has disowned her family.

"That is not true," Hellon said. "Yesterday Esther met with the mother and had lunch. The reason why the parents are upset is because the whole family is Adventist while she has gone to join an apostolic church."

As for the churches spiritual practices Hellon said, "There is nothing clandestine, we do everything other churches do, we read the bible and follow it, partake of Holy Communion and baptize."

Tusker Project Fame winner Alpha Rwirangira also attended the church services in the months that he was in Kenya after his big win.

In an interview with The Star from his home in Rwanda, he was asked if he left because of the churches spiritual practices he said, "That is true, what I saw is true that is why I left."

Another former TPF contestant Patricia Kihoro denied been part of the mentorship programme at Hellon's Runda residence where a number of women are housed. "No I had no idea there was something like that.

Kilimani police advised Esther's family to seek remedy from the courts as they investigate other criminal claims leveled against Quincy and Hellon.

The police say the lady is above 18 years and her case doesn't warrant offenses like kidnapping or abduction since the family was aware of her decision to quit her employment and move into the Runda house.

The saxophonist's final words were, "I'm an upright man and I won't stand for anything unbiblical. I'm not afraid to stand before a camera and say it."

Hellon is set to appear at the Kibera court on February 26 for fixing of a hearing date on the abusive text message case.

WITH the ongoing furore involving TV anchor Esther Arungaand saxophonist Joseph Hellon, people seem to miss out on the connecting link between the various scenarios: a publicity-hungry musician known to many as Quincy Timberlake, formerly known as Fizzle Dogg. He is right in the middle of most of the news hitting incidences that have been happening to both Hellon and Esther.

Quincy is a half cast of a Kenyan father and a South African mother. He has been a childhood friend with Hellon before they reunited in November 2009 via Facebook.

Since then, he has been living with Hellon at his (Hellon's) Runda residence.

Word Is learnt of the connection between the three through a series of emails and chats that are in our possession that shed light into the twisted dealings that led to the drama and scandal involving the three. The emails and chat sessions, which Hellon and Esther believe originated from a famous televangelist, had instructions for both of them said to be from God.

The first set of instructions demanded that Hellon promotes Quincy to a senior pastor at his Finger of God church. This led to disagreement with some members of the church and leaders, leading to a mass walkout from the church on February 11.

The second set of instructions, still from the reknown international 'miracle working' pastor, again directed at Hellon, asked that he record a single track with Quincy, which was done on February 10. The track, a Luo lingala song, was titled Ariembariemba\ (meaning 'I'm Expelling Them'). This is also the same day that Hellon's wife changed her name from Wagikuyu to Vineyard, which means "yard of sweet protection that no evil sees". On the same day as well, during a chat session with the televangelist, Hellon asks for advice on what Esther should do.

He wrote: "All the serpents are gone now and as you can see, my daughter Esther is seated at my table looking beautiful and happy. Dad, I feel she shouldn't go back to KTN and I have told her already. Kindly advice."

The reply to this was: "Tell Esther to go nowhere. That girl loves Quincy no doubt about
it."

Instructions then started trickling in for the TV personality.

On February 12, Esther had a one-on-one chat with the spiritual leader whom they refer to as their dad. Here she tells the leader that she has disowned the family.

She then asks if God wills it for Quincy to be her husband. And the answer she gets? "Only Apostle Hellon got the keys to his (Quincy) command. HE listens to nobody else, as for now Apostle Hellon should not let him know he is gonna be your husband."

With this you get the feeling that something is not right. As of now, there are no services at the Finger Of God Church because the faithful are on a 100-day fast beginning February 11, because the televangelist based in the US ordered it.

We are yet to get confirmation from the US if indeed the said televangelist is part of this scandal. We will definitely keep you posted about the unfolding drama. Or is it the biggest con?