Written by Kelly Were
KERIO VALLEY, Kenya — May 31, 2025
In a heart-wrenching decision that underscores the dire state of security in Kenya’s North Rift region, the Catholic Church has suspended all mission operations in Kerio Valley following the murder of Father Allois Bett, parish priest of St. Mathias Mulumba, Tot Parish.
Father Bett was gunned down earlier this month while returning from a Jumuiya (small Christian community) Mass. The brutal killing has left the missionary community shaken and has prompted a complete withdrawal of Catholic services from the region, effective Friday, May 30, 2025.
The Missionary Benedictine Sisters, in a statement signed by Sister Rosa Pascal, described the closure as both a safety measure and an act of protest.
“High tension of insecurity is causing mental, emotional, and psychological trauma to our sisters,” the statement read. “We have arrived at a decision to close our mission stations indefinitely until the area is safe for service.”
This move impacts not just spiritual services but also critical humanitarian infrastructure, notably the Chesongoch Mission Hospital, the only well-equipped health facility in the area. The hospital, staffed by around 100 workers, has provided essential medical care for decades in a region plagued by banditry and intercommunal violence.
The Church cited two major factors in its decision:
- Severe trauma and emotional strain on clergy and missionaries.
- A mass staff exodus, with workers fleeing escalating violence and threats to their lives.
Beyond safety, the Church is using its withdrawal as a strategic protest, calling on the government to take decisive action—chiefly the disarmament of armed civilians and the restoration of law and order.
“Our action is meant to press the government for a lasting solution,” said the sisters, demanding state intervention before any return to the valley.
But the Church’s statement took a more solemn tone when addressing the local community directly, questioning whether the mission’s decades-long presence is still valued.
“Remind the people of Kerio Valley the relevance of our presence. If the community does not consider our mission essential, then there is no need for our presence,” the statement concluded.
The Church’s withdrawal could further destabilize an already fragile region, where access to healthcare, education, and pastoral support has long been provided by faith-based missions in the absence of robust government infrastructure.
