Family of Slain Priest Forgives Killers, Urges End to Banditry in Tot
Drawing a powerful parallel from the Bible, Samoi referenced the moment in Matthew 27:21 when Pontius Pilate asked the crowd whether he should release Jesus or Barabbas, the thief. “The crowd chose Barabbas,” he said solemnly
Bishop Dominic Kimengich leads clergy in receiving the body of Father Alloyce Cheruiyot Bett from the hearse during the solemn requiem mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Eldoret.
The family of the late Catholic priest Father Alloyce Cheruiyot Bett has publicly forgiven those responsible for his murder, even as they expressed heartbreak over the continued insecurity in the Kerio Valley and the community’s failure to surrender the perpetrators as promised.
Speaking during a moving requiem mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Eldoret City, Amos Samoi, the family spokesperson, said the family had chosen the path of forgiveness, despite their deep pain and the loss of a man they described as full of promise and service.
“Sisi tukiwa jamii tumetoa msamaha kwa hao wote wenye walitenda kitendo hiki,” Samoi declared. “We had a lot of hope after the Tot community promised to identify and hand over the killers of our son. Instead, our son was handed over to death, while the same community continues to protect bandits.”
Drawing a powerful parallel from the Bible, Samoi referenced the moment in Matthew 27:21 when Pontius Pilate asked the crowd whether he should release Jesus or Barabbas, the thief. “The crowd chose Barabbas,” he said solemnly, “just as the killers of our son were allowed to walk free, while an innocent servant of God was killed.”
“The governor asked them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.'” — Matthew 27:21 (ESV)
Father Bett, who had served at St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish for only a few months, was ambushed and shot dead on May 22 while returning from presiding over a Jumuiya (small Christian community) mass in Kakbiken village. According to witnesses, gunmen sprayed the priest’s car with bullets, one of which fatally struck him in the neck.
Elected leaders from the region, including Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, and Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, joined the family in mourning and called on the government to immediately act. Senator Kisang criticized the local community for not fulfilling their promise to produce suspects within three days, stating, “It is regrettable that the killers are still walking free in the volatile Kerio Valley.”
The leaders urged the Ministry of Interior to intensify operations in the bandit-prone area, with Senator Cherargei decrying the slow pace of justice: “The government has all the resources and personnel at its disposal and should use the same to flush out the perpetrators.”
The Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, led by Bishop Dominic Kimengich, presided over the solemn service ahead of Father Bett’s burial at Holy Family Parish Ol’Lessos in Nandi County.
Background on Arrests
According to reports from The Star Newspaper , six individuals have been arrested in connection with the priest’s murder. Some of the suspects include local police reservists, reflecting fears of collusion between security forces and criminal elements in the region. Investigations are ongoing, but the community’s silence and fear remain a major obstacle.
The murder has once again drawn national attention to the deteriorating security situation in the Kerio Valley. Despite repeated government crackdowns, banditry continues to claim innocent lives, leaving communities living in fear and mourning.
As the late priest is laid to rest, his family’s gesture of forgiveness stands in stark contrast to the violence that took his life—an act of grace that has both challenged and inspired a nation still struggling to overcome impunity.
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