Police have on Wednesday recovered the badly decomposed body of a man believed to be the missing Machakos Catholic Priest, Fr. Michael Kyengo.
Police however, said they could not say with certainty if indeed it was Fr. Kyengo due to the poor state of the body.
It was buried in a shallow grave on the sandy bed of the seasonal River Mashamba in Mwea area of Mbeere South Sub county in Embu County.
The body, said to have been sewn in a gunny sack bore serious injuries that indicated the priest was savagely attacked before he died.
The Director of Operations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Danson Diru who led a team of officers and pathologists to the scene this morning said they were led to the scene on Tuesday evening by a youthful suspect whom they had earlier arrested.
Diru was guarded about how and where they arrested the suspect, saying such information will be disclosed at the appropriate time.
Father Kyengo, who was on leave at his parents’ home in Kangundo when he disappeared on Tuesday last week was reported missing to the police on October 11.
He was the Priest in charge of Thatha Parish in Masinga area of the Diocese of Machakos.
Diru said the motive of the abduction and subsequent murder of the priest was still being investigated but pointed out that a substantial amount of money had been withdrawn from his accounts during the time he was missing.
Fr. Kyengo’s former colleagues at the Thatha Parish who included Sister Colleta Minoo and Fr. Josphat Kiambuu who were at the scene to witness the recovery of their colleague’s body eulogised the late Fr. Kyengo as a prayerful and jovial person who loved all.
Fr. Francis Maundu of the diocesan administrative office said the 42-year old Fr. Kyengo had served in the Thatha Parish since his ordination 12 years ago.
By Steve Gatheru
