Catholic priest kidnapped, murdered and buried in shallow grave in Embu

A Catholic priest was kidnapped, brutally murdered and buried in a shallow grave in Embu County.

The body of Father Michael Kyengo was discovered almost a week after he had been kidnapped from his Thatha Parish by gunmen. Thatha is in Machakos County.

Police say he was kidnapped on October 7. The kidnappers slit his throat and cut his body before burying him in a shallow grave on a riverbed.

The men then drove his car up to Malindi and back to Nairobi.

In Malindi, the suspected killers withdrew part of Kyengo’s money from a local bank. It is not clear yet why they decided to drive to Malindi.

Two of the four killers were arrested on Mombasa Highway in Makindu area with his car and later took police to the place where they had buried the priest’s body.

Police say they are yet to know the motive of the killing and that they intend to exhume the body Wednesday from the banks of Gathingiri river. A team of experts including a pathologist was driven to the site for the mission.

Detectives handling the matter said they are looking for two more suspects over the incident.

Head of Special Crimes Prevention Unit Pius Gitari said they are following crucial leads on the whereabouts of the missing suspects.