Conflicting accounts and secrecy continue to cloud the exact events that led to the death of Igwamiti Parish Priest, John Maina.
In the absence of a conclusive post-mortem report that would guide investigators trying to ascertain the cause of his death, police are now relying on the accounts of those who spoke with Fr. Maina in the hours leading up to his death.
Sources within the team of sleuths investigating the priest’s death at Gilgil Police station, tell the Nation that the priest was allegedly poisoned, and that when he arrived at St Joseph Hospital in Elementaita, at around 11 am on May 15, by a motorbike, he told medics that he had been poisoned.
A boda boda rider who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that he was from Gilgil Town to purchase spare parts when he saw someone waving along the highway.
He said that he stopped upon drawing closer, he saw a man in distress who requested assistance, saying he needed medical attention.
With the help of another rider who had also stopped at the scene, they rushed the ailing man to the hospital, where he was received at the emergency area.
"I was just helping as a Good Samaritan since he told me he needed urgent medical attention. At the hospital, the nurses received him, and we left. Later, he learnt the person I had helped was a priest and that he had passed on," the boda boda rider narrated to the Nation.
According to the rider, Fr Maina had a visible injury on his left side of his head.
"He was dressed in sandals and a bright coloured coat. He had no phone with him, I tried asking him for contacts we could call, but he was not responsive. He had no other injuries on other parts of the body," he told the Nation in an interview where he asked to remain anonymous as he has not been identified as a witness yet and for fear of jeopardising investigations.
An initial report, based on interviews with detectives since the report has not been made public, suggested that the priest could have been shot multiple times, but the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on Tuesday said the priest had “visible injuries, including bruises on the left side of his head, which were oozing blood,” when he was found by the boda boda rider that took him to hospital.
The detectives also believe that the Priest had confided in a friend that his life was in danger—but a claim that his family and the church vehemently deny.
“Fr. Maina had told a female friend, whom he had known for four years, that some people had been trailing him without disclosing who and why to his friend,” said the source.
Police say that Fr. Maina also told this friend that he received Sh400,000 as a gift from former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, whom he had hosted two weeks earlier.
“The trailing began after the alleged donations at the Church’s 25 year anniversary celebrations. The assailants alleged that he had been given Sh4 million. They wanted Sh2 million,” explained the investigator.
When Fr. Maina left home on May 14, he left his car parked at home.
The housekeeper, on her part, claimed that the Priest left the house on the fateful day, saying he was meeting some friends in Nyahururu town.
The friend explains that in the last moments before Fr Maina disappeared, he called her, claiming he feared that he was being trailed in a supermarket and that his assailants were demanding that he should be carrying 2 million shillings in cash by the time they met.
Detectives say Fr. Maina’s phone was switched off within Nyahururu on May 14, it is highly likely that the assailants went with it.
Police also suspect that Fr. Maina was in need of fast cash after taking Sh2 million from the Parish account without other signatories to buy a car in a deal that ended up collapsing.
In desperation, he was looking for means to pay back the money to the church; he sold his car for 720,000, and a friend loaned him 150,000 to pay up.
“He was in distress on how to recover the rest of the money to pay up the balance. He was hoping that he would get the money from that function,” the female friend is said to have told detectives.
In Nyahururu, Bishop Joseph Mbatia has denied allegations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations that the slain Igwamiti Parish Priest Fr. John Maina had expressed concerns that his life was in danger.
In an interview with the Nation, the Bishop said he received no complaints from the slain priest, and he never appeared disturbed in any way.
"I do not have much to say about the death of our priest, I am also waiting for DCI to conclude their investigation. I do not know what the postmortem report says, am also still waiting for the findings. But I can confirm that the priest had not raised any issues about his security, that is news to me," said the Bishop.
On claims that the murder could be related to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s visit to the church’s fundraiser, Bishop Mbatia also dismissed the allegations.
"The slain priest was just in charge of the Parish, anything else that happened on that day was under Vicar General Fr Timothy Maina, the entire issue, including the Harambee, and it was conducted was under the Vicar," said the Bishop.
Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who accompanied the former DP to the church event, also dismissed the DCI claims, saying the slain priest did not receive any money from Mr Gachagua apart from what was donated by guests during the fundraiser.
“The priest never visited Rigathi after the silver jubilee celebrations. There was no money that was given to the priest during the event, apart from the normal contributions made by the leaders and faithful for the silver jubilee celebrations," said Mr Methu.
At the Igwamiti Catholic Church, worshipers also ruled out politics in their priest's death.
The Parish Coordinator, Mr John Komba, said there was no connection between former DP’s visit to the church and the priest's death.
"I was with the priest on the day he disappeared. He had not complained about threats to his life to the Parish committee, that's news. We are not aware of the amount raised during the fundraiser attended by the former DP. , Only the priests involved in the fundraiser can tell the amount," said Mr Komba.
He said Father Maina left the church premises at about 11 am, after a brief meeting with him.
"We had a parish meeting which he was unable to attend, but briefed me on the expectations of the meeting. He reminded me to ensure the Diocese remittances were discussed. He then left, he was in jovial moods as always, it was the last time I saw him alive," said the Parish coordinator.
He said he saw the Priest's body at Pope Benedict Hospital Morgue when it was brought on Thursday last week, and he noted a big wound on Father Maina's left side.
The Parish coordinator described Fr. Maina, who had served the parish for a year before his death, as a humble, dedicated man of God, who had initiated several developments in the church during the time he led the Church.
His priority was the completion of a modern kitchen, which was to be operationalised in about a month, Mr Komba said.
He said, like other members of the congregation, he was shocked to receive the priest’s death.
In the meantime, Fr. Maina’s family is yet to receive the autopsy report, three days after the exercise was done at Pope Benedict Hospital in Nyahururu, raising concerns of whether there was an attempt by the church to isolate the family and their lawyer from the postmortem.
Mr Peter Muigai, the family spokesperson, wondered why the Vicar General, Fr. Timothy Maina, chased away the media from the mortuary during the postmortem.
"We have been trying to get the postmortem report but they say it will be ready in two days. Why we can't be issued with the initial findings by the pathologist at the morgue, we do not understand. We do not want to speculate on anything, but we are not very happy," said Mr Muigai.
The casket carrying Fr. John Maina's body during his burial ceremony at Tabor Hill Catholic Cemetery in Nyandarua County on May 22, 2025. Bishop Joseph Mbatia of the Diocese of Nyahururu presided over the ceremony.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
He said the burial arrangements are being done exclusively by the Catholic Church, but the family wants to know how and who killed their son.
"There are so many things we do not understand as a family, a lot of conflicting information. We also do not understand why the media could be forced out of the morgue during the postmortem,” said the family spokesperson.
Fr Maina will be buried on Thursday, May 22, at Tabor Hill Catholic Cemetery in Ol Joro Orok, Nyandarua County.
