Kenya: court calls for four suspects to be investigated over Fr Kaiser's murder

The inquest into the death of Mill Hill missionary, Fr John Anthony Kaiser, wants four men investigated to determine their role if any in the priest's murder. Nairobi Chief Magistrate Maureen Odero wondered why the Kenya Police and the American Federal Bureau of Investigations had not sought to fill gaping loopholes in their evidence.

The court recommended that a catechist, Francis Kantai, who was serving under Fr Kaiser at the Lolgorian Parish, Ngong Diocese, and three Kenya Wildlife Service game rangers at the Mara National Park, Samuel Kortom, Joseph Kupasar and Daniel Suya, be investigated.

"Though it was stated that Mr Kantai was close to Fr Kaiser, his behavior in the period leading to the priest's death raised many questions, she ruled, adding that his personal admission in court that he lied to the FBI and his disappearance soon after Fr Kaiser's death raised many questions. The three KWS rangers were involved in the disappearance of a rifle and a magazine from Mara Serena armoury around the time of Fr Kaiser's death.

"It is not lost to the court that the rifle is a high powered firearm similar to the type used to kill Fr Kaiser. It is highly suspicious that close to the time Fr Kaiser meets his death a mystery still exists as to the loss of a firearm and a magazine from the Mara, the magistrate noted. She, however, cleared former Cabinet Minister Julius Sunkuli who it had been claimed in the inquest was unhappy with the priest's involvement with two girls who had lodged rape complaints against him.

"Hon Sunkuli has an airtight alibi as he was not in Nairobi, Naivasha or Nakuru at the time Fr Kaiser met his death. He was away in Mombasa on official duties. . . certainly not anywhere near the scene where the body was recovered,"she said.

The chief magistrate added that if Sunkuli wanted to eliminate a person because of these allegations, then in the court's view, he would have targeted the girls themselves or his named political detractors and not Fr Kaiser who was not the source of the allegations.

Source: CISA