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Police in Kerio Valley have arrested the main suspect linked to the killing of Catholic priest Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett, months after the cleric was murdered in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The suspect was apprehended following a separate incident in which he allegedly killed a man with an arrow during a dispute over clan land in the Kerio Valley region.
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Authorities confirmed that the arrest has provided a breakthrough in investigations into Father Bett’s death. A senior police officer involved in the operation said the suspect is now in custody and is expected to face justice over the priest’s murder.
Kerio Valley East Sub-County Police Commander Zablon Okoyo said the suspect is currently being questioned as detectives seek to establish his involvement in the killing.
According to Okoyo, the suspect has already appeared before a magistrate’s court in Iten over the land dispute killing, while officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are reviewing evidence connecting him to Father Bett’s murder.
“The DCI is handling the matter and examining all available evidence linking the suspect to the priest’s killing before determining the next course of action,” said Okoyo.
He noted that investigators opened a case file immediately after Father Bett’s death and have continued pursuing leads in an effort to bring all those involved to book.
Father Bett was fatally shot on May 22, 2025, in Tot, Kerio Valley, while returning from a church service in Kabien/Kakbiken village. He served at St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish under the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.
His killing sparked widespread condemnation across the country and prompted a major security crackdown in the region. The incident also led to the temporary closure of Catholic missions and Chesongoch Mission Hospital due to security concerns.
The priest was laid to rest on June 3, 2025, at Holy Family Parish in Ol’lessos, Nandi County.
Security operations in Kerio Valley have continued since the murder, with the government offering amnesty to residents who voluntarily surrender illegal firearms.
Officials say more than 500 guns have been handed over to security agencies over the past year, while hundreds of former bandits have also surrendered and joined rehabilitation efforts.
Sources indicate that the arrested suspect had previously surrendered a firearm during the disarmament exercise but remained under surveillance by security agencies.
