Tanzania's beer drinking and kissing 'prophet' mentally ill – police

Police Commander for Tanzania’s capital, Dadoma, says a self-proclaimed prophet who was detained earlier this week over his unconventional methods is mentally ill.

Officer Gilles Muroto is reported by the BBC to have said a medical check-up conducted on Nabii Tito (Swahili for Prophet Tito) disclosed the condition.

Real name Onesmo Machibya, police picked up the 44-year-old who is reported to have been preaching in parts of Dadoma whiles drinking beer and advocating that fornication was permissible.

A viral video footage shows him kissing his wife and house maid. The police say he goes around drinking palours and entertainment centers propagating beliefs that are unknown to Tanzanian culture and known religions.

Photos shared on Twitter by The Citizen Tanzania portal showed the police interrogating Nabii Tito. He was wearing a white robe with the cross on either side of the chest and a chain bearing the cross.

The situation in Tanzania is quite different from other parts of the continent, typical examples of the Republic of Congo and South Africa, where there are churches whose operations are hinged on the consumption of alcohol.

Police in the Tanzanian capital Dadoma on Tuesday arrested a preacher who reportedly roams the streets preaching with a bottle of beer. https://t.co/mbahp8qHd1

— africanews (@africanews) January 24, 2018