Catholic priest who hosted Gachagua found murdered on in Gilgil

Police in Nakuru and Nyandarua are investigating murder of a Catholic priest.

Police picked Fr John Maina Ndegwa who was found with serious injuries that led to his death.

Ndegwa was the Father in charge of Igwamiti Catholic Parish of Nyandarua.

He was found on the roadside in Kikopey, Gilgil of Nakuru on Friday May 16, over 50 kilometers from his work station.

Police said they suspect he was murdered. The motive of the murder is however yet to be known.

Bishop Joseph Mbatia of Nyahururu Dioceses said the injured Priest was rushed to St Mary hospital in Gilgil town but passed on while undergoing treatment.

Po said his vehicle is missing and efforts to trace it are ongoing.

Detectives suspect that the priest was murdered elsewhere and his body dumped at Kikopey on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway in Gilgil.

According to Gilgil DCI head Rahamad Wasilwa, the priest’s body appeared to have been dumped at the location, raising suspicions that he could have been killed elsewhere.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu mourned the priest.

“We’re in deep shock to learn of the very sudden death of Rev. Father John Maina Ndegwa of Igwamiti parish. Father Maina hosted H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH and our team a fortnight ago for the parishe’s family day. May your soul my good friend rest in peace,” he said in a post on Facebook.

At the weekend, the Bishop, Priests and Faithful gathered in St Louis Church in Igwamiti Parish, where the priest used to serve, to pray for his soul.

Other faithful took to social media to mourn him.

Locals said he was a devoted shepherd and a source of spiritual strength to many.

His demise has sent shockwaves through the religious community and beyond, coming just two weeks after he hosted former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other dignitaries at a high-profile fundraiser.

A postmortem will be conducted on the body at St Benedict Catholic Mission Hospital to give more details into the death and help with the investigations.