Man sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing Machakos priest

An Embu court has sentenced Michael Mutunga to 30 years in prison for killing Catholic priest Fr Michael Maingi in 2019.

Judge Lucy Njuguna on Thursday said there was no justification whatsoever for Mutunga's action.

Mutunga through his lawyer Kirimi Gwantai had told court he acted out of grief and anger after Fr Maingi sodomised him.

Judge Njuguna said Mutunga should have used the available legal means to seek justice instead of taking the matter into his own hands.

She said the conduct of the accused after committing the offence betrayed him after he withdrew Sh400,000 from the M-Pesa account of the deceased, took possession of the deceased's vehicle and made it his own.

"I find the circumstances under which this offence was committed call for a severe sentence. I sentence the first accused person to 30 years in prison. I have already taken into account the time that he has been in custody," Judge Njuguna said.

Mutunga was found guilty of killing Fr Maingi on October 8, 2019, and burying him in a shallow grave in the riverbed of the Mashamba seasonal river in Makima, Mbeere South, Embu.

Fr Francis Maundu of Machakos diocese said he was happy with the sentencing and that whatever was said about the priest was just to paint him in a bad light.

He said the late Fr Maingi was his brother in the Christian ministry and the claims of the accused hurt the Christians of Machakos.

“It takes 10 years for one to prepare to be a priest and thus the death of Fr Maingi has affected the rest of the diocese,” Fr Maundu said.

He also cautioned against ridiculing a man of God. He appreciated the court for serving justice, saying the case took a short time.

Nicholas Machuki, a cousin of the deceased, said the family accepted the court ruling although the gap left by Fr Maingi is notable.

He said the death of the priest has affected the family because he was the only healthy child in the family as his four brothers suffer from down's syndrome.

Mutunga was in the company of two other accused persons, Kavivya Mwangangi and Solomon Mutava, whose cases will be mentioned on November 17.

Edited by Henry Makori