In a rare and emotionally charged baraza at Chesongoch Primary School in Elgeyo Marakwet County, voices from the Church, community, political leadership, and police rose in unison, emphasising that peace and justice are inseparable in the wake of the brutal killing of Rev. Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett.
All called for a decisive end to the long-standing scourge of banditry in the Kerio Valley by ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The tense meeting, which lasted several hours, delivered a firm and united message: the perpetrators must be held accountable, and the cycle of violence that has haunted the region for decades must be broken.
An emotional Bishop Dominic Kimengich of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret delivered a message from the Vatican, underscoring the international and spiritual gravity of the loss.
“I received a message from a representative of the Pope in the Vatican asking, ‘What is happening in your diocese? A priest has been killed?’ This has never happened before,” said the Bishop.
“Father Allois deserves justice. First, we must understand why he was killed. Secondly, may his life and spilled blood become the seed of lasting peace in the Kerio Valley.”
The murder of Father Bett has reignited national calls for accountability, healing, and sustainable peace in a region long scarred by insecurity and impunity.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, assured residents, as well as government officers, including teachers and healthcare workers, that their safety would be prioritised. He acknowledged the three-day period requested by community elders to identify and surrender those responsible for the killing of the Catholic priest.
He announced that schools and key public facilities in the Kerio Valley would now be guarded by police and National Police Reservists (NPRs).
The Catholic Church, through Bishop Kimengich, called on local leaders and residents to play their part in ending the bloodshed by ensuring that the culprits are apprehended.
Leaders at the meeting, including Governors Stephen Sang (Nandi) and Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakwet), urged the government to intensify security operations and warned against politicizing the region’s persistent insecurity.
“We must not allow criminals to continue operating with impunity. The government must act decisively, and as leaders, we must stand united in protecting our people,” said Governor Rotich.
As the community mourns Father Bett, his death has become a powerful symbol, an urgent call for peace, justice and an end to a reign of terror that has stolen too many lives in the Kerio Valley.
