A Catholic catechist, missing report, and a broken family

He was a devoted Catholic catechist but his disappearance without a trace left the family and worshipers baffled.

Joseph Njanja hailed from the sprawling and congested Karugiro colonial village in Kirinyaga County before he went missing under mysterious circumstances.

Thirty-three years down the line, Mr Njanja has not been found and his family wants the government to unravel the mystery surrounding his disappearance.

Mr Njanja left for Kimbimbi Catholic Church on May 20, 1990 and that was the last time to be seen alive.

According to the family, as usual Mr Njanja set out for church early enough to prepare for mass service before the then two white priests who were based in the area arrived.

"He used to report to church before everyone one else for Sunday service to put things in order to ensure everything went on smoothly," said Ms Mary Muthoni, 76, the wife to the missing catechist.

Ms Muthoni vividly remembered that her husband attended the service and stayed in the church until 1 pm when he left to Kirimara village, four kilometres away to pray for a family that required spiritual nourishment.

However, she was taken aback when Mr Njanja failed to show up at home that same day in the evening.

The following day, the family reported the matter to Wang'uru Police Station and recorded statements.

Moments later, the white Catholic priests from the area got wind of what had happened to one of their own and mobilised worshipers, who embarked on a thorough search of the catechist.

The worshipers combed bushes and river banks in the area for days, looking for Mr Njanja but gave up when they failed to trace him.

"We had to inform the police and the priest when Njanja didn't return home in the evening. All we wanted was assistance to find him," said Ms Muthoni adding that she still has fond memories for her beloved husband.

Ms Muthoni, now 76, recollected that during the search mission, only his spectacles and pullover were recovered.

"One of the worshipers brought the spectacles and the pullover belonging to my husband home which I then handed over to the police who were investigating the matter. Surprisingly the worshiper whom I know by name did not tell me where he had found them," said Ms Muthoni.

Mr Njanja was loved and hated in equal measure as he carried out his spiritual duties in the church.

Worshipers liked him because he was dedicated to his catechism duties. He also won admiration from the church priests, who described him as a man with a calling to serve God.

He was even bestowed upon other responsibilities of conducting burials and giving sacrament to worshipers on behalf of the priests due to his handwork.

On the other hand, Mr Njanja was hated by some worshipers because he was so strict and honest.

"Some worshipers didn't like the way he protected the church property while others were jealous of his job and wanted to replace him as a catechist," said Ms Muthoni.

The family stressed that it looked increasingly likely that Mr Njanja was kidnapped by ‘enemies’ in the church and taken to unknown place.

"My husband faced potential danger because some churchgoers didn't like him. He used to tell me that some of them had plotted to steal building materials belonging to the church and he was planning to report the matter to the priests. He claimed that a clique of worshipers were unhappy for protecting the property of the church and I advised him not to report them to the priests so as to be safe, but I don't know whether he heeded to my advice or not," added Ms Muthoni.

The family said it was sad officers who were investigating the matter did not give them the feedback.

"To date, we have never been told what happened to Mr Njanja. That is why we are calling on the Kenya Kwanza government to intervene. We want our family head dead or alive," said Ms Muthoni.

The family said they have not known peace since Mr Njanja got lost.

Prior to Mr Njanja's disappearance, he had six children who all dropped out of school due to lack of school fees.

"My elder child was in Form One but the rest were in primary school. Mr Njanja used to educate them but when he disappeared they dropped out of school," lamented Ms Muthoni, a casual labourer.

Ms Muthoni said with the meagre earning she could not be able to meet all her financial challenges.

"Those days I used to earn Sh70 per day which was not even enough for feeding my children. When my children dropped out of school, they too became casual labourers for survival. The children are now grown-ups but they are still struggling to survive due to poverty," Ms Muthoni said with tears welling in her eyes.

The family described their father as a good man who loved his children.

"Our father worked so hard to provide for his family. If he didn't disappear, our life would be better," said Mr Peter Wachira, 40, the elder son to the catechist.

The family said they have been living in fear since the day Mr Njanja went missing.

"When we failed to see our father, we were gripped with fear and deserted the Catholic Church, we were worried that the same fate would befall on us and abandoned the Church we all loved," said Mr Wachira.

The family said enemies of their father were staunch church followers and feared that they could be the next target.

"We had to leave the church in hurry because the enemies of my father were influential people and could also turn against us," said Mr Wachira.

Mr Wachira said he and his siblings now attend different churches in the area.

"We go to different churches where we feel safe to worship God," said Mr Wachira.

The family said there are growing fears that their father was abducted, eliminated and buried secretly at unknown place.

They said Mr Njanja used to express concerns about his personal safety since he was surrounded by some greedy worshipers.

"Although he felt threatened, this didn't keep him from continuing with his work," added Mr Wachira.

The worshipers said Mr Njanja did a good job, and they will remember him forever. 

"He was a very jovial person and a disciplinarian; I was one of his students in a catechism class and I remember him very well. He made jokes as he taught us, but he dealt tough with those who misbehaved during catechism lessons," one of the worshipers Mr Gitari Kagui, who is now a medic said.