Slain Catholic priest hailed as peace messenger in Kerio Valley

On January 5th, the first Sunday of this year, slain Catholic Priest Allois Cheruiyot Bett gained prominence during his evangelical duties in the troubled Kerio Valley.

Fr Bett was shot dead by assailants shortly after leading a sermon for a Small Christian Community in the remote village of Kabartile, near Tot in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

He had been speaking at an interdenominational prayer service attended by President William Ruto, where he emphasized his mission in the Kerio Valley to promote peace.

"The clergy in Kerio Valley have a mission to disarm the hearts and minds of suspected bandits. Every month, we meet for this disarmament, pray, administer to the people, and speak to their hearts and minds," he said during the service.

According to police reports, he was returning to his parked vehicle when the assailants confronted him and shot him.

A statement from the National Police Service revealed that six suspects have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing.

Police spokesman Michiri Nyaga said the priest was reportedly ambushed and fatally shot at around 2.30pm.

"Six suspects have since been arrested and are in custody," he said.

Nyaga further stated that the initial investigations indicate that the killing is not linked to cattle rustling or the ongoing banditry in the region.

Prior to the incident, Fr. Bett conveyed to government officials, led by President Ruto, that he collaborated with fellow clerics to "disarm the minds" of individuals involved in banditry and cattle rustling.

On the afternoon of the tragic day, in the heat of the Kerio Valley, the priest from St Mathias Mulumba Tot Parish was killed by individuals suspected by locals to be bandits, allegedly targeted in an ongoing security operation in the volatile region.

That day, Fr Allois, as he was affectionately known in the Kerio Valley, was only armed with his liturgical robe, Bible, rosary, and a mass kit.

Since his assignment to the Kerio Valley last year, Fr Bett had conducted funeral mass services for several victims of banditry, including women and children, as noted by local resident Evans Kimaiyo.

"He was a humble priest who always preached peace. Locals turned to him for messages of hope whenever banditry worsened. How heartless can someone be to kill a priest who was preaching peace in such a remote area? This is the darkest moment in Kerio Valley," a resident expressed the day after the priest's horrific killing.

Emotions ran high on Thursday evening at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Funeral Home, where the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Church led faithful, along with Governors Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Jonathan Bii (Uasin Gishu), in receiving the priest's body.

Earlier that day, locals who had been served by Fr Bett, along with his colleagues in Tot, were inconsolable.

Catholic faithful from his O’Lessos parish in Nandi were devastated as they received his body in Eldoret.

Fr Bett was ordained in November 2022 at Mary Mother Queen of Peace in Kabiyet and briefly served in Nandi before becoming a chaplain at Marakwet Boys High School, leading up to his posting in the troubled valley.

Various online videos and photos depicted the slain priest as a compassionate preacher who worked closely with the underprivileged, including footage of him donating food to a poor elderly woman.

Residents in the Kerio Valley speculated that angry young men opposed to an ongoing security operation in the 'Valley of Death' were retaliating. "He stopped his car and walked to a prayer service on the escarpments, and he was killed as he approached the venue," said Mulinge.

Tensions have surged in the Kerio Valley following reports of a security operation aimed at eliminating suspected bandits.

Locals informed The Standard that at least four young men, including a road construction worker and a welder, had been shot dead by individuals suspected to be security personnel in the past ten days.

Sources revealed that armed individuals recently killed a construction worker who was a non-local, instilling fear in the region.

From shootings involving assailants in Toyota Probox and Prado vehicles to alleged disappearances, residents reported that fear has gripped the volatile valley since the beginning of a crackdown on young men, including individuals identified by locals as reformed bandits.

"On Thursday last week, a young man from Kaben was shot dead in front of his wife and child by men in a Probox and a Prado. At the same time, another young man from the neighborhood was abducted and has not returned," a resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, reported.

Another local shared that several young men, fearing they might be on the list of suspects pursued by security agencies, have targeted non-locals, suspecting them of spying on their activities.

"The priest was a non-local and might have been targeted by young men who feel the state is trying to eliminate them. There is a prevailing belief that non-locals are spying on those suspected of banditry and providing information to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Tensions have escalated in recent days," she elaborated.

Furthermore, she stated, "Many suspected bandits feel resentful because they believe that the operation to root out criminal gangs is only being conducted in one county in the Kerio Valley and not across the wider banditry-prone region."

Elgeyo Marakwet police commander Peter Mulinge confirmed an ongoing security operation in the Kerio Valley.

"There is an operation underway targeting suspected bandits, and they have been suspicious, shooting at anyone they believe might be a threat," he stated.

He added, “The suspected bandits may have thought that the priest was spying on them. We believe that the killers of the priest are likely locals from the area where the attack occurred.”

In a statement, the police headquarters in Nairobi clarified that the shooting incident was not related to banditry.

Earlier last month, a General Service Unit (GSU) officer was shot dead by individuals believed to be bandits.