Gender violence


| Pool

Cheating pastor fought with wife the night she died

What you need to know:

  • Detectives rule out suicide after postmortem indicates the woman was strangled.
  • Two other people being sought in connection with the killing.

It has now emerged that a pastor who is being held by police in Gilgil on suspicion of killing his wife was incensed by her insistence on moving her clinic to Kongasis trading centre.

The wife, a trained clinician, was running the clinic in a remote part of the area and had made it clear that she wanted to move. The husband was infuriated by the decision, which he was completely opposed to, leading to a furious exchange between the couple on the night she died.

“The woman stood her ground, saying she would move to the more populated Kongasis trading centre and also for convenience,” said a source privy to the ongoing investigations.

“But her husband, who was having an affair with a woman at the trading centre, feared he would be exposed if the wife worked near him,” added the source.

The source said the pastor was keen on remarrying but faced hurdles due to his status.

The victim’s brother confirmed that his sister was a clinician, but added that she never confided in any family member that she was going through marital strife. 

“She was a very quiet person who rarely shared her woes, perhaps owing to her marriage vows,” he said.

He said the family will meet on Saturday to discuss burial arrangements, having shelved earlier plans due to the post-mortem being done.

“The two families will meet and agree on burial plans … at the moment, we have put everything on hold,” said the brother.

He called on the police to expedite investigations and bring his sister’s killers to book.

“As a family, we are devastated, having earlier thought she had committed suicide. But the unfolding events are taking a toll on many of us.”

The farmer learnt of his sister’s death last Wednesday after being informed by his younger brother.

Police are also hunting two other people believed to have taken part in the killing. The two, said a police source, attempted to poison the arrested pastor after realising police were on their trail.

“We got credible information about their planned heinous act but we remained vigilant,” said an investigator.

The 47-year-old evangelical church pastor was apprehended moments after the post-mortem findings.

The pastor, who heads the Royal Calvary Church at Kongasis, had walked into the Elementaita police station, and reported that his wife had committed suicide. 

Gilgil sub-county police commander John Onditi termed the suicide theory an attempt to conceal evidence, saying officers were hot on the heels of the other two suspects.

He said the pastor will be arraigned in court for murder, after police completed investigations, having been granted extra days by the court to conclude their findings.