Revealed: How PCEA cleric was killed by men in 'military' attire

Felix Odinga and his wife Berryl Nafula, when they appeared before Nakuru Chief Magistrate Tito Gesora on June 3, 2026. [Daniel Chege, Standard]

Reverend Julius Ndumia of Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Tabuga, Lanet, Nakuru County, was allegedly attacked and killed by four hooded men in ‘military’ attire.

Githioro area chief Godwin Kimani testified that he was able to view the CCTV footage of the night of May 4, 2026, when the reverend was killed inside his house within the church compound.

Kimani testified before Chief Magistrate Tito Gesora in a robbery with violence case involving Beryl Nafula and her husband, Felix Odinga.

The couple, allegedly, were among the perpetrators said to have robbed the pastor before killing him.

Kimani testified that, as the area chief, he was invited by the investigative body to view CCTV footage to help investigators identify the assailants.

“Although the CCTV footage was blurry, it showed four men with faces completely hooded. They were in military attire,” he testified.

He said that, although he wanted to assist in investigations, he was never called again to view the footage.

“In my experience, the footage could be made clear. I do not know whether detectives did so because they did not contact me again,” he said.

Kimani told the court that after the incident, he was called at around 6.40 am on May 4 by one of the church evangelists and upon arrival at the church compound, he found the evangelist with a church elder.

He was informed that Ndumia and his watchman had been harmed and testified that when he arrived at the house, he found the pastor lying in a pool of blood.

“He was lying face down, with his hands and legs tied. I called him twice, but he did not respond. The watchman, who was covered with a Marvin hat on his head, was breathing heavily,” he said.

According to Kimani, the walls were splashed with blood and the pastor’s trousers were also smeared with blood.

He said that although the house was not broken into, he discovered that the assailants had broken into the church offices and allegedly stolen valuables.

Detectives arrived, confirming Kimani’s fear that the pastor had been killed during the raid.

“From the footage, I could not tell who killed him. I am also seeking answers,” he testified.

Mary Muthoni, an elder in the church, said that a day before he was killed, the pastor was one of the churches he was in charge of giving faithful Holy Communion.

Muthoni said that the pastor opened up to her about the challenges he was facing while pushing for a church project, particularly Lunar Park, which he wanted built.

“He told me he was facing some resistance from the church leadership who said the money needed for the project was so much. I said I would pray for him and urged him to push on,” she said.

Muthoni admitted that Ndumia allegedly had made enemies because of his campaign for the church projects.

Before he went home on the night he was killed, Muthoni said that the reverend visited one of the faithful's houses in Murunyu and blessed it.

“We spoke in the evening around 8 pm; he mentioned the challenges he was facing in serving the congregation,” she testified.

According to Muthoni, the project had allegedly been discussed in the church council but was left pending and the same did not proceed.

The case will continue on September 28.