Catholic bishops in Kenya are demanding a full investigation into the suspicious deaths of two priests within days of each other, calling the incidents deeply disturbing.
On 22 May, Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett was shot dead after celebrating Mass in Kenya’s volatile Kerio Valley. His death, believed to be a targeted attack, shocked the local community.
Just a week earlier, Father John Maina Ndegwa of the Diocese of Nyahururu died after being found injured by the roadside. Before his death, he reportedly told medics he had been poisoned.
Authorities are investigating links to threats he received after hosting a controversial political figure at a church event.
Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of Kisumu, president of Kenya’s bishops’ conference, decried the growing sense of insecurity and the apparent devaluation of life in Kenya.
He emphasised that Catholic priests serve far beyond the pulpit—working with the poor, the marginalised and the forgotten who deserve protection and justice.
