This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
On October 19, 2019, a Catholic priest named Michael Kyengo was found murdered in Embu, sparking a police investigation that would uncover a web of secrets and lies.
A key suspect in the case has now come forward with a stunning claim: that he and the priest were secretly in love.
According to the Standard, the suspect, a 25-year-old man, shared romantic text messages with Kyengo, referring to each other as 'Hi dear' and 'hi my love.'
The police investigation has revealed that Kyengo and the suspect met in 2008 in Machakos, and their relationship allegedly blossomed from there.
As the police dug deeper, they discovered a knife in a pit latrine at the suspect's home, which is believed to be the murder weapon.
The suspect's alibi was further compromised when a 44-year-old man named Solomon Mutava was arrested for driving the suspect to Malindi in Kyengo's car, which had been repainted from white to grey.
Mutava led the police to the suspect's house, where the murder is believed to have taken place, and also to the shallow grave where Kyengo's body was found.
Allegations of greed and a battle for money have also surfaced, with the suspect telling the police that Kyengo had confided in him about a dispute with a senior Catholic church official over an undisclosed amount of money.
DCI Special Crime Prevention Unit boss Pius Gitari confirmed that the suspect has been arrested, but declined to give further details.
