Catholic World News News Feature

Priest planned bishop's murder, Kenyan police say July 27, 2005

Kenyan police investigating the murder of Bishop Luigi Locati are now focusing their attention on one of the two priests arrested last week.

Bishop Locati, who was the apostolic vicar of Isiolo, was killed by gunmen on July 14 as he walked on the street near his office. Six days later, police arrested two priests: Fathers Cyril Mukuchia and Peter Malley Guyo.

Law-enforcement officials now say that their investigation of the killing is near completion. They charge that one of the priests in custody planned the murder, and hired and paid the killers. They have not identified which of the priests is the primary suspect.

Early reports indicated that the priest who is believed to have ordered the contract killing, and paid 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($130) to the gunmen, was involved in financial corruption, and was facing discipline for having misused diocesan funds. But a local newspaper, The Standard, introduced another theory with a report that Bishop Locati was prepared to take action because the priest was having an affair with a local woman. Neither of these stories has been confirmed by authorities.