Killing evokes memories of unresolved murder of Catholic priests

Slain Catholic priest, Fr Aloise Bett of St Mulumba Catholic Church, Kerio Valley, who was shot dead on Thursday, May 22, 2025. [Courtesy]

The recent twin murders of Catholic priests in the Rift Valley region have brought back memories of past unresolved murders of priests in the country.

Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett was shot and killed by armed men in the troubled Tot area of Kerio Valley on May 22 while he was en route to lead a church service.

Known for his unwavering commitment to peace in the conflict-prone Kerio Valley, Father Bett was deeply respected as a spiritual leader, educator, and community reconciler.

His death has sent shockwaves through the region and beyond.

This tragedy follows closely behind another disturbing incident, the killing of Father John Maina from the Catholic Diocese of Nyahururu.

His body was discovered on May 15, roughly 50 kilometers from his Igwamiti Catholic Church parish, sparking public outrage and grief.

These back-to-back killings have raised alarm about the safety of religious leaders in the country, particularly those serving in high-risk and underserved areas.

The murder of a priest is a shocking crime.

While the priesthood has gained a terrible reputation due to various scandals in recent years, often involving truly abominable acts, most priests are still pious and generous, sometimes to their own detriment.

As pillars of the community, attacks on them are perceived as strikes against the entire community, perhaps even against God Himself. Many believe that a man of God should be "off-limits" to crime.

Between the 1990s and 2008, at least four priests met their deaths under disturbing and mysterious circumstances across the country.

The assassination of American missionary John Antony Kaiser, a Catholic priest and human rights defender, in 2000 shocked the nation.

Father Kaiser was particularly vocal in condemning politically motivated tribal clashes during the 1990s.

According to documented accounts of his murder, he had been assisting two young girls in bringing a rape case against a young politician from the previous Kanu regime.

When he was found dead near Naivasha on August 24, 2000, he was lying next to a shotgun with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.

Funeral Mass Service of the late Rev Father John Maina Ndegwa at Tabor Hill, Ol Jororok constituency. [Courtesy]

In October 2019, another Catholic priest who disappeared from his family home was found dead in a shallow grave in Machakos weeks after being reported missing.

Police investigators and pathologists exhumed the body of Father Michael Maingi Kyengo, discovering that he had been strangled and his body disfigured.

Fr Kyengo was a parish priest in Thatha, part of the Diocese of Machakos.

He had been staying with his parents, about 32 miles north of Nairobi, when his family reported him missing on October 11 after he traveled there for his annual leave on October 1.

His body was located after investigators traced his mobile phone, car, and credit card to a 25-year-old suspect.

On January 30, 2008, during the height of the Post-Election Violence, Father Michael Kamau Ithondeka from the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru was killed at an illegal roadblock set up by armed youth on the Nakuru-Eldama Ravine Road.

Other Kenyan priests have also been murdered during robberies or for their opposition to human rights abuses and strong stances against corruption.

Many bishops and priests have faced targeting for exposing evil practices, with one priest working with the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission in Nakuru stating, "They are being killed for standing for the truth."

In some cases, unnamed priests have suggested that these clergymen may have been targeted by individuals who believe they are carrying large amounts of church funds.

In December 2001, Father John Njoroge, a parish priest in Kiambu, 10 miles north of Nairobi, was shot dead by thugs who robbed him of the church's weekly collection.

Four men blocked his car on a dirt road and demanded the bag containing money that he was carrying.

The gunmen shot him through the windshield, hitting him in the chest.