RIP: What Caused Sudden Death of Bungoma Woman Claiming to Be Mary Mother of Jesus

Judith Nafula, the Busia woman popularly known as Mama Maria after claiming to be Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, has died while receiving treatment at Busia Referral Hospital.

The Renewal Charismatic Church of Kenya announced her death in an official statement dated October 12, 2026, and signed by Presiding Archbishop Felix Barasa.

The statement said the church had learnt of her passing with deep sorrow and described her as a beloved member who had returned to the Father’s house.

The congregation observed a moment of silence in her memory, and the church promised to communicate the funeral programme once the family and members complete burial arrangements.

Nafula was a resident of Nang’oma village in Matayos constituency and served as a leader in the deliverance and healing ministry at St Mary’s Renewal Charismatic Church.

She rose to national prominence in June 2025, when she told journalists she had been chosen to embody Mary in human form.

According to her, a bright light descended from the sky during a supernatural encounter, and a voice that identified itself as Christ said it had been sent by God to look for Mother Mary.

She recalled telling the voice that she did not know Mary, only to be told that she was the one being sought. Nafula added that she then spent two months on a nearby hill, praying and receiving what she described as spiritual revelations.

Her husband, John Wekulo, backed her account, saying he too had received a revelation identifying him as Joseph, the biblical figure associated with Mary.

The couple’s story split opinion in western Kenya, with some residents embracing their spiritual claims while others remained sceptical. Her death closes a chapter that sparked wide debate on faith, identity and spiritual belief in the region.

Source; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1TqkD2d3wH/

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