By Fredrick Nzwili • Catholic News Service • Posted December 10, 2018

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) — A Catholic priest was shot dead by unknown robbers Dec. 10 near his parish in central Kenya as he was taking the Sunday Mass offerings to the bank.

Father John Njoroge Muhia of Kinoo Parish in Kiambu, part of the Nairobi Archdiocese, was accosted by four robbers on motorcycles. They obstructed the priest’s car on a rough road, forced him to stop and demanded the bag that he had in his car.

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One of the robbers reportedly drew a pistol, shot Father Njoroge in the chest and snatched a bag and mobile phone before escaping on the motorcycles. The priest was pronounced dead on arrival at the county hospital.

“We are saddened by the killing of Father Njoroge,” Father Francis Kiarie, who has worked with the dead priest, told Catholic News Service. “While we ask why, we condemned the act in the strongest terms possible. The killing of people of God is not unacceptable.”

An eyewitness in a nearby construction site said he heard gunshots and saw two motorcycles moving at high speed on the road. He added that his workers had told him that the men on the motorcycles had shot someone and were escaping.

Photos of priest’s car show that the robbers had fired through the front windshield.

Adiel Nyange, the Kiambu County police commander, said an unknown amount of money was stolen. Police said they have launched a manhunt for the killers.