NAIROBI, Kenya July 9 – A Catholic priest from Ruai Parish has died in Murang’a after a night out with his girlfriend, police have confirmed.
The priest identified as Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku, 43, from St Peter’s Catholic Church in Ruai Parish collapsed and died on Saturday morning while with his girlfriend who is also a church staff.
The two lovebirds had booked themselves into Monalisa Hotel in Gatanga where they spent Friday night, according to a police report in which the lady Ruth Nduhi Karanja is identified as the priest’s girlfriend.
But the unexpected happened on Saturday morning when the lady rushed to the hotel reception in an emergency, saying her man was not well.
Police say when the hotel staff responded to the emergency, they found the man unconscious and had to rush him to the nearest hospital.
“It was reported by one Ruth Nduhi Karanja aged 32 and a resident of Ruai and the girlfriend to the deceased accompanied by Elizabeth Njoki Wainaina and Monica Waruguru Gicharu all employees of Monalisa hotel,” a police report seen by Capital FM states in part.
They also informed local police who accompanied them to the hospital where the priest was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause of death has not been established.
Police say that when they arrived, they found the priest’s half-naked body covered in the hotel’s bedsheet in the back of his motor vehicle, a Toyota Harrier that was being driven by his girlfriend.
“Investigations into this death have been launched and a postmortem will also be done. Our officers have taken statements from the woman who was last with him and the hotel staff,” he said.
Detectives also collected samples of food he ate last as part of the investigations.
