A suspect has told detectives that he killed Catholic Priest Michael Maingi Kyengo after a request from his cult in order to get rich.
46-year-old Kavivya Mwangangi was arrested on Thursday in Gategi area, Embu County following the interrogation of Michael Muthini Mutunga, the prime suspect in the killing of the priest.
Upon questioning, Mwangangi confessed to being a member of a cult named Illuminati Official Clun that is based in Sandton City, Johannesburg, South Africa, according to The Standard.
He also provided details of the cult’s website and log-in credentials that helped detectives retrieve an application filled in by Mutunga in September 2018, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said in a statement.
“I fully have the potential to join Illuminati so as to become financially stable and help the community eradicate poverty, and shine in the society,” part of the form filled by Mutunga reads in part, according to The Standard.
The suspect allegedly told police that members of the cult are required to sacrifice a close relative or friend as a condition to increase their wealth. Father Kyengo was a long-time friend of the two suspects, with Mutunga telling police that he was in a gay relationship with the deceased.
“The priest was a sacrificial lamb. His best friend claims they sacrificed him in a secret cult they practice,” a police source told The Standard.
Part of the form filled by Mutunga states that the cult does not solicit for members and seeks to know how the applicant learnt about them.
“We are not a fan group. We are a group of dynamic individuals who stand forth as the ultimate underground alternative – the shadow elite. We realize what we have, what we are and what we shall become. Our scope is unlimited and the extent of your involvement is based upon your potential,” the form reads.
“Our requests are simple as you will soon find out and therefore may be hard to comprehend, but disloyalty is not tolerated. In return for your loyalty, you are presented the limitless life of wealth and opportunities in plenty.”
On Thursday, the court allowed police to hold suspect Mutunga for 10 days for investigations into the killing to be completed.
Father Kyengo’s body was discovered buried in a shallow grave in Embu on October 16th, eight days after he went missing. A post-mortem examination revealed the cleric succumbed to stab wounds.
The cleric was allegedly kidnapped on October 8th while traveling from Tala to his Thatha parish in Masinga, Machakos County.
Police believe he was killed in Mutunga’s rented house in Embu, where a knife, blood stained-clothes and other items were recovered. Officers are also holding another suspect, Solomon Mutava, 44.
