Another suspect arrested over murder of Catholic priest Michael Maingi

Police have arrested one more suspect in connection with the murder of Catholic priest Fr. Michael Maingi, who was kidnapped in Machakos and later found brutally murdered in Embu County.

The suspect; 46-year-old Kavivya Mwangangi, was arrested on Thursday at Kategi area in Mbeere, Embu County by Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) detectives in an intelligence-led operation.

Mwangangi was ambushed by security officers in his rented house where detectives reportedly recovered a mobile phone and SIM Card where some money was received through M-Pesa from the deceased priest’s phone.

According to the DCI, the money was sent to the said SIM Card on the night the clergyman was murdered.

Also recovered from the house were blood stained clothes and a filled form indicating that the suspect could be a member of a cult in which his co-accused Michael Mutunga, who is police custody, is suspected to be part of.

“The detectives are further investigating the possibility of the murder by the said suspect and his accomplice Michael Mutunga being connected to a cult in which Mutunga is suspected to be part of, after a filled application formto join Illuminati Cult in September 2018 was recovered at Mwangangi’ rented house,” said the DCI.

The detectives also recovered a notebook bearing names and phone numbers of people suspected to be members of the Secret Society Cult.

Mwangangi was detained as further investigations continue.

Meanwhile, his accomplice Michael Mutunga was on Thursday arraigned in a Nairobi court where police were allowed to detain him for 10 days pending conclusion of investigations.

The Catholic priest from Machakos was reportedly waylaid on October 8 while driving from Tala to his Thatha parish in Machakos.

He would later be found dead and his body buried in a shallow grave in Makima, Embu County, on October 16, 2019.

Last Sunday, detectives recovered bank withdrawal receipts from accounts held by the deceased priest.

The receipts were discovered in a house said to have been rented by Michael Mutunga, the main suspect in the murder, two days after the priest was killed.