Mob brutally kills priest amid continuing violence in Kenya

Published: 2008-01-28

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) -- A mob brutally killed a priest of the Diocese of Nakuru in Kenya's Rift Valley amid continuing post-election violence which has pitted rival ethnic gangs against each other. Father Michael Kamau, 42, was killed on a Rift Valley road Jan. 26 because the mob reportedly was avenging a death in their community. As the violence continued Jan. 28, the personnel from the Diocese of Nakuru worked to evacuate church workers trapped in the violence, reported the Catholic Information Service for Africa, a missionary news agency in Africa. Father John Mbaraka, a local priest, told Catholic News Service that Father Kamau was a member of the Kikuyu ethnic community and that his attackers were most likely of the Kalenjin ethnic community. Father Mbaraka said Father Kamau knew his attackers because he used to pay their children's school fees when he was a parish priest in the Diocese of Eldoret. "It is sad that religious people are killed. We are appealing for Kibaki and Raila to address the impending problems in the country," said Father Mbaraka, referring to Kenya President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga Raila.

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