Mumias Anglican Church of Kenya priest murdered

RESIDENTS of Shibale in Mumias are mourning the mysterious killing of the Shibale ACK parish priest. Reverend Benson Nandwa Makokha, 45, was murdered in his house in the church compound at 8pm. According to the church evangelist Patrick Nakunjwe, Nandwa was killed while preparing a sermon for Sunday.

  “I had just bid goodnight to the priest at 7.30pm and went to my house. Shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from one of our evangelists Mary Osimba telling me the priest was in danger,” Nakunjwe said. He said a neighbour heard commotion in the priest’s house and alerted Osimba who alerted residents in the church compound.  

“I rushed to the priest’s house in darkness because there was a power blackout only to find him sprawled on the floor of his living room unconscious,” he said.   The priest has been living alone in the house after his wife and children traveled to Kakamega. His house-help had gone to her rural home in Makunda village,  Matungu district. He was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital in a critical condition but was pronounced dead on arrival. Nandwa's widow said the his body had knife stabs in the neck and stomach. He leaves behind a widow Sarah Nandwa and three children Angeline Nandwa,15, a form one student at Bunyore Girls High School, Alvine Nandwa, 14, a pupil at Central Primary School in Mumias and Annet Nandwa. Bishop Beneah Salalah of the ACK Mumias diocese said the assailants might have monitored the priest’s movements and capitalised on the power blackout to kill him. He asked the police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the prelate's death and bring to book his killers.