A Catholic priest was shot dead on Thursday afternoon in a brutal ambush by armed bandits in Kerio Valley, a region long plagued by insecurity.
“They were ambushed by a group of armed youth who fired four bullets—three missed, but one struck the priest in the neck,” said a catechist based in Tot.
The killing has left the community in shock and mourning. Tension remains high in the area as security forces pursue the attackers.
The murder comes just days after Catholic Bishop of Eldoret Dominic Kimengich raised the alarm over the resurgence of banditry in Kerio Valley.
Despite a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)-led operation that has been ongoing for two years, fresh attacks continue to claim lives.
Bishop Kimengich, who has been informed of the priest’s death, is said to be on his way to the scene. In recent comments, he decried the persistent insecurity in the region.
“The government should not allow a few people to take us back with the killing of innocent people in Kerio Valley,” he warned.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has also been briefed on the incident, which is likely to renew calls for intensified security interventions in the troubled region.
The incident also happens as joint police teams in Nakuru and Nyandarua are investigating the murder of another Catholic priest.
Police picked Fr John Maina Ndegwa from the roadside after he was found unconscious and with serious injuries.
Ndegwa was the Father in charge of the Igwamiti Catholic Parish of Nyandarua.
According to police, he was found on the roadside in Kikopey, Gilgil of Nakuru on Friday, May 16, over 50 kilometres from his workstation.
Police said they suspect he was injured elsewhere and his body was dumped at the site.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has since called on the general public to ignore speculation circulating online regarding the death of Father John Maina.
An autopsy was conducted on May 19, 2025, by Dr Ngulungu, a government pathologist.
