South Sudan denounces murder of Kenyan bishop
June 25, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government Sunday condemned the “barbaric” murder of a Kenyan priest killed with a machete in Munuki residential area of Juba, South Sudan last Friday.
Police spokesman Brigadier Gen. Daniel Justin said in a press statement that a Kenyan bishop identified as Joel Mwendwa was attacked while leading morning prayers inside the church.
“What happened on Saturday morning at around 6:30 am was an evil act, barbaric and cowardice act. We received reports that a man in the neighbourhood of the church went to the church with a machete and started attacking the bishop because he was in front of the church. He cut the bishop several times until the bishop fell down. This happened as the congregation was for morning prayers, which is inhumane and unacceptable behaviour. As police, we condemn this barbaric act, ”said Justin.
The perpetrator later decided to run to a house in the residential area after the incident but the residents later showed police the house where the suspect was hiding and he was apprehended.
After his arrest, the criminal confessed that he did the killing because the Bishop used to disturb them in Morning Prayer.
“He is now in the custody and we are still investigating the residents of the area to find out more details. The suspect is under detention and the deceased priest corpse was taken to the hospital for postmortem,” said the police spokesman.
He described the incident as very unfortunate, pledging committing of the government to carry thorough investigation into the incident to know what provoked the attack to find whether it is still connected to initial claim by the suspect that he acted because of the noise coming out from the church which caused disturbances to the residents of the area.
Eyewitnesses at the scene of the incident said the suspects involved in the killing of the bishop used to smoke an illicit substance in the church and corroborated that the church used to make noise to the residents in the morning and at night.
Another eye witness, the daughter of the deceased bishop only identified as Anita, said that her deceased father had sometimes back travelled to Kenya and upon his return found some bamboos used for the construction of the church fence removed.
Days later he recovered the stolen bamboos from the church in the neighbour’s house. She suspects that the killing was related to the stolen bamboos.
(ST)