Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Upendo fm 89.4/Diocese of Eldoret
Eldoret (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic community mourns the loss of Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett, the 33-year-old Catholic priest who was shot dead on May 22 (see Fides, 23/5/2025) in the Tot area of the Kerio Valley in Kenya after celebrating Mass in the village of Kabien. The priest's funeral took place yesterday afternoon, Monday, June 2, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Eldoret.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral mass, presided over by Bishop Dominic Kimengich, who had already gathered for a prayer vigil inside and outside the Cathedral since Sunday evening, June 1. In his homily, the bishop recalled the pastoral service Father Bett has provided in recent years in the Kerio Valley, an area of Kenya marked by instability, where constant violence has forced missionary sisters to close their facilities (see Fides, 2/6/2025). He "dedicated his life to the service of God and his people. It is a great loss for the Church and the community. We continue to ask for justice for him. His murderers must be brought to justice," the bishop said, before asking for prayers for peace in the Kerio Valley.
While Father Bett was being laid to rest in the Holy Family Parish cemetery, a group of senators in Nairobi urgently called for a government commission of inquiry to investigate the cases of murdered Catholic priests. A phenomenon, according to the senators, that "has been going on for decades and has several unsolved cases that fuel public concern." The events in Kerio Valley, the senators continued, "are indicative of a pattern of targeted violence that has been largely ignored by the State."
These "constant killings can no longer be ignored," said Boni Khalwale, a senator from Kakamega. Edwin Sifuna, a senator from Nairobi, shared the same opinion: "The Catholic Church has endured traumatic experiences for over 20 years, and the silence of the authorities following these attacks is deeply disturbing. Citizens are closely monitoring how the security forces are handling each case." (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/6/2025)
