Detectives from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit on Thursday arrested another suspect in the murder of Catholic priest, Fr. Michael Maingi, who was kidnapped in Machakos and later found brutally murdered in Embu County.
The body of the priest was recovered from a shallow grave in Embu last week.
46-year-old Kavivya Mwangangi was arrested on Thursday at Kategi area in Mbeere, Embu County by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in an intelligence-led operation.
Mwangangi was flushed out of his hiding by security officers who reportedly recovered a mobile phone and a SIM card used to receive some cash from the deceased priest’s phone through M-pesa.
According to a series of tweets posted on the DCI’s twitter account, the suspect was arrested and will be detained as an investigation into the gruesome murder continues.
“One suspect; 46-Year-Old Kavivya Mwangangi who is connected with the murder of the late Fr. Michael Maingi was today arrested at Kategi in Mbeere, Embu County by detectives in an intelligence-led operation,” one of the tweet reads.
It adds that the detectives are further investigating the possibility of the murder by the said suspect and his accomplice Michael Mutunga, who is in police custody, being connected to a cult which Mutunga is suspected to belong to.
This is after an application form to join the Illuminati cult, reportedly filled by the suspect in September 2018, was recovered in Mwangangi’ rented house.
Also recovered from the house were blood stained clothes and a notebook bearing names and phone numbers of people suspected to be members of the infamous secret society.
… of the murder by the said suspect & his accomplice Michael MUTUNGA being connected to a cult in which Mutunga is suspected to be part of, after a Filled Application Form (by him) to join Illuminatiam Cult in September 2018 was recovered at Mwangangi’ rented house. Also… pic.twitter.com/pMIicqgg5d
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) October 24, 2019
The priest disappeared from Thatha Parish in Machakos on October 8, 2019 only to be found dead in the mysterious murder that has left many Kenyans in shock.
The body of the priest was discovered on October 15, 2019, almost a week after he had been kidnapped from his Thatha Parish by gunmen.
The abductors slit the deceased’s throat and cut his body before burying him in a shallow grave on a riverbed in Embu County.
The men then daringly drove his vehicle up to Malindi and back to Nairobi, according to the police.