NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has condemned the brutal murder of Julius Ngari Ndumia, describing it as a shocking and disturbing attack that has sent fear across the Presbyterian church in Kenya.
A postmortem examination on the body of Rev Ndumia revealed that he died from lack of oxygen following severe head injuries sustained during an attack.
The autopsy, conducted on May 6 by Nakuru-based pathologist Titus Ngulungu, found that the cleric suffered multiple injuries to the head and neck, which led to suffocation and excessive bleeding.
In a statement, Gachagua expressed condolences to the family of the slain cleric, members of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa Tubaga Parish, and the wider Presbyterian community across East Africa.
“The cold-blooded murder of an anointed man of God is not only callous to the extreme but raises serious questions about the security of our shepherds and indeed the Kenyan public,” he said.
The former deputy president said the church had increasingly come under attack from criminals allegedly operating under state protection, citing previous incidents at PCEA Mwiki and PCEA Kariobangi churches, where he alleged goons backed by police attacked worshippers.
According to Gachagua, the killing of Rev. Ndumia has triggered panic among PCEA clergy across the country, accusing police of failing to act swiftly despite four days having passed since the murder.
“The police have failed to make any arrests and have issued no statement over the murder four days after the heinous crime,” he stated.
Gachagua questioned whether the cleric may have been targeted for speaking against corruption, poor governance and human rights violations.
“Could he have been silenced for being vocal against corruption, bad governance and violation of human rights? Could this killing be a loud threat to other vocal parish ministers within the PCEA church?” he posed.
He called on National Police Service Inspector General to issue a public statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the murder and provide updates on investigations.
Gachagua also urged police to assure PCEA ministers and worshippers of their safety, saying freedom of worship and expression guaranteed under the Constitution must be protected.
At the same time, he appealed to church leadership to strongly condemn what he termed as the persecution of the PCEA church.
He further called for urgent action to stop the reported break-ins targeting churches, where valuables have allegedly been stolen with impunity.
