From Right: Michael Muthini Mutunga, Kavivya Mwangangi and Solomon Mutava Wambua, accused of murdering Father Maingi Kyengo when they appeared before Justice Lucy Njuguna, at Embu high court on Monday, November 8, 2021.The 43-year-old priest had disappeared from his parent’s Tala home in Matungulu, Machakos County on October 5, 2019 only for his body to be found on October 16, 2019 in a shallow grave in the bed of a seasonal river in Mbeere South sub-county, Embu. [Muriithi Mugo, Standard]

The sentencing of a man who admitted to killing a Catholic priest in 2019 has been pushed to Thursday.

High Court Judge Lucy Njuguna said the absence of the pre-sentence report had delayed the sentencing of Michael Muthini Mutunga.

"Without a victim assessment report, it cannot take place," Justice Njuguna said.

Leah Mate for the prosecution submitted that the interviews had been carried out but the report was not yet submitted. She asked for another date.

Mutunga is charged with killing Fr Michael Maingi Kyengo on the night between October 8 and 9, 2019 at Makima location, Mbeere Sub-county.

In his mitigation, the 26-year-old convict said he acted out of anger and grief after the priest sodomised him and infected him with a sexually transmitted disease.