A 51-year-old pastor has been arrested in Nakuru County after allegedly marrying a teenager.

Kuresoi-based police officers detained the preacher in the Bararget neighborhood of Keringet Ward.

Richard Cheruiyot of "Madhabahu" Faith Church enticed the teen girl and rented her a residence in Nakuru town on January 9.

PHOTO | COURTESY police line

He is thought to have encountered the girl while she was reporting back to Kiptewit Girls High School in Bureti, Kericho County.

The girl's mother, Viola Milgo, stated that her daughter boarded a vehicle to school on the first day, only to be informed by the administration that she had not reported.

The horrified mother then explained that the accused was their neighbor.

She reported the incident to authorities, and the girl was later tracked down to Ogilgei in Nakuru town, where she was discovered selling fruits on the streets.

"We received information that the girl had been observed in Ogiglei. "We discovered the girl selling fruits in the area and brought her in for questioning," said area police chief Jeremiah Luwerwa.

The pastor is being grilled at Keringet police station pending his arraignment in Molo.