A disturbing video has surfaced online showing a Catholic priest conducting Mass while armed with an AK-47 rifle, igniting a firestorm of debate and concern across Kenya as the nation continues to mourn the brutal murder of Fr. Alois Bett.
The undated footage, widely circulated on social media, captures the priest fully robed in liturgical vestments, performing sacred rituals at the altar — all while the assault rifle hangs visibly strapped to his back.
At one point in the video, he is seen genuflecting and lifting a small liturgical vessel during prayer, with the weapon never leaving his person.
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Though the date, location, and identity of the priest remain unconfirmed, the video’s timing and symbolism have struck a deep chord in the public conscience — emerging just as the Catholic Church prepares to lay to rest one of its own, Fr. Alois Bett, who was shot dead on May 22 in the violence-stricken Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Fr. Bett was ambushed while traveling to his parish following a church meeting. His killing, which came just weeks after the mysterious death of another priest, Fr. John Maina Ndegwa, has triggered widespread alarm and intensified calls for government action to secure clergy and citizens in volatile regions.
On Monday morning, Fr. Bett’s body was transferred from the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Eldoret for a solemn Requiem Mass.
The mood across the church remains sombre, with Fr. Bett’s killing evoking painful memories of Fr. John Maina’s funeral, which took place just last week at Tabor Hill Spirituality Centre in Nyandarua County.
The service, attended by clergy, faithful, and Fr. Maina’s family, was presided over by Nyahururu Diocese Bishop Joseph Mbatia.
Speaking during the funeral, Bishop Mbatia called for calm and assured the congregation that investigative agencies had taken up the matter:
“We too need the truth. We have involved the DCI. If he was killed, we must know why and by whom.”
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continues to probe the deaths of the two clerics, which have sparked national outcry and raised uncomfortable questions about rising insecurity, particularly in restive parts of the Rift Valley.
While some Kenyans expressed outrage at the armed priest, others sympathized, pointing to the apparent need for self-defense in increasingly dangerous areas — especially for church leaders now seen as potential targets.
Whether the priest’s actions were a symbolic protest, a personal security measure, or a broader commentary on the state of insecurity, one thing is clear: the church is at a crossroads, and many in its fold are crying out for justice — and safety.