Shock as Siaya priest kills lover before killing himself

A priest yesterday killed his lover and then committed suicide on Mageta Island in Siaya County. According to sources, Roho Fweny Church priest Elisha Ogolla, 57, had been in an illicit affair for a while with Linnet Onyango, 40, a mother of six.

Local Chief Ambrose Ogema said a woman who had gone to seek spiritual counsel from the pastor sounded an alarm after she saw blood flowing from his house. “The deceased had gone to the priest’s rented house at around 2pm. It seems they (lovers) had a quarrel before the priest brutally murdered the woman and mutilated her genitals,” said Mr Ogema.

Neighbours broke into the house and found the pastor gasping for air in the sitting room and Onyango’s mutilated body lying on the floor. The priest died at Usenge beach while being taken to Usenge Police Station.  

TOOK POISON

“The priest was found lying unconscious on a couch with foam coming out of his mouth. We suspect he might have taken poison after killing the woman,” said the chief. He claimed the priest might have drugged the woman before killing her since the neighbours did not hear any commotion in the house.

"The priest was found lying unconscious on his couch with foam coming out of his mouth. We suspect he might have taken poison after killing the woman," said the chief.

He further added that the priest might have drugged the woman before killing her since the neighbours did not hear any commotion from the house.

The administrator said that the duo had an illicit affair and the church was in the process of discussing their illicit affairs and possibly discipline the errant priest.

Mr Ogema added that he had earlier received complaints from the woman's husband who claimed that the priest was having an affair with his wife thus breaking their marriage.

"The relationship between the two was well known in the village and it had raised a lot of eyebrows to the extent of the woman and her husband being in a tense relationship," said Mr Ogema.

Bondo OCPD Paul Kiarie confirmed the incident stating that the bodies have been moved to the Bondo sub-county hospital for postmortem.

Mr Kiarie added that they have launched probe on the matter as a way of determining the priest's actions.

The police officer called on the church officials to thoroughly vet the people it appoints to become priests as a way of reducing similar cases where they turn against their members in future.

"We have started investigating the matter and we hope that we will get to the bottom of this," said Kiarie.