Catholic Priest Joseph Kariuki of Ruai Parish had a six-year relationship with his girlfriend - Gatanga Sub-County Commander and lead investigator Lawrence Njau has revealed.
Speaking exclusively to Kenyans.co.ke, the police commander revealed that the girlfriend's admission came after recording a statement with the police.
Commander Njau added that the duo had frequented the Murang'a-based hotel on multiple occasions during their relationship.
"The girlfriend clarified the relationship with the priest and stated that they were in a relationship for over six years. She also revealed that they had frequented the hotel multiple times," Njau stated.
The detective noted that investigations were ongoing to determine the events that led to the priest's demise and whether the relationship with the girlfriend was a contributing factor.
Commander Njau added that the Catholic church would determine when the post-mortem would be conducted after the itinerary on the burial preparations is released.
"It (post-mortem) is yet to be conducted. The Catholic church will decide. They will prepare for burial and tell us when we can conduct the post-mortem and that's when I will send my officers," he asserted.
According to reports, Kariuki placed an order for a chicken and liquor worth approximately Ksh6,000 before retiring to his room on Friday, July 7. Shortly thereafter, his girlfriend arrived and introduced herself to the hotel staff as a colleague of the priest from Ruai Parish.
The next morning, as the priest started experiencing dizziness and eventually lost consciousness, his girlfriend panicked. She promptly contacted the hotel management for assistance.
A driver and an employee were promptly assigned to handle the matter. The two carried the priest's body and placed it in his personal vehicle.
Two officers, who were dispatched from Samuru Police Patrol Base, escorted the team to Kenol Hospital in Murang'a County. He was pronounced dead on arrival.
A sample of the drinks and food consumed by the priest and the girlfriend was collected for further analysis.
Instructively, police officers will be able to uncover the cause of death once an autopsy is conducted.
