Questions mount after Nakuru PCEA Reverend Julius Ndumia is killed in church attack

Questions linger on the lips of the faithful at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Tabuga Parish, Bahati, Nakuru County, who are struggling to come to terms with the macabre murder of their pastor.

As detectives from the Serious Crime Unit try to piece together the shocking killing of Reverend Julius Ndumia inside the parish compound on the night of May 3, 2026, worshippers are left wondering who could be so evil as to want the harmless man of cloth dead.

According to Nakuru County Police Commander Samuel Boit, at least four assailants made their way into the parish at around 2am, tortured the guard, and used him to force the pastor to open the door to the parish house.

“They then tied the pastor’s hands and struck him with a sharp object at the back of his neck, possibly an axe. The guard was also injured and found with his hands tied,” said Boit.

Given that nothing was stolen from the parish house, including Rev Ndumia’s phone, Boit said investigators believe it was an assassination, though further investigations will provide clarity.

The silence of the family, church elders, and many faithful has left more questions than answers as speculation grows over the motive.

According to a confidant of the pastor, Ndumia had previously expressed fear for his life due to alleged leadership wrangles within the church. The source, who requested anonymity, declined to give further details to avoid speculation.

Some congregants, speaking in hushed tones, suggested the cleric had repeatedly disagreed with church leadership over money and development projects.

Though unconfirmed, some faithful believe Ndumia’s murder may have been an inside job involving people known to him. Others within the church have speculated that he may have been killed for standing by the truth.

According to one congregant who spoke to The Nairobian, it was a premeditated murder and the perpetrators were familiar with his routine and movements. “The pastor used to prefer staying in one of the churches he oversaw. He seldom slept in the parish house. It is baffling that those who came for him knew he was there that night,” she said.

Another confidant believed the pastor may have been targeted over money related to a wedding ceremony he was due to officiate. “He may have been caught up in the arrangement of a union and, unknowingly, became the target,” he said.

According to another church member, Ndumia had recently been speaking as though he knew his time was nearing an end. “He often talked about the legacy he wanted to leave, whether in transfer or death, in almost all his homilies. I think he was foreseeing his death,” said the congregant.

Choir member Ruth Muthoni said the pastor was killed for preaching peace and justice. “He had a bright future. He did not care what people said about him in church or in the streets. He always condemned evil. We believe he was killed for standing with the truth,” she said.

Paul Chege, a resident, blamed authorities for the cleric’s death, saying security lapses in the area made it easy for criminals to storm the church and commit the heinous act.

He accused law enforcement officers of prioritising alcohol-related matters over residents’ safety, leading to over 10 murder cases in Bahati in recent months. “I believe that if the police were doing their work, either the assailants would have been deterred or the pastor could have been rescued,” he said.

Robert Waihenya, a clergyman with the PCEA, expressed concern as a man of God, pointing to the lack of street lighting in Bahati and rising crime by gangs targeting churches.

In a statement, the Lanet Umoja Pastors Fellowship in Nakuru expressed concern over rising insecurity in places of worship, culminating in Ndumia’s murder. “The horrific act, carried out within a place of worship, has shaken not only the Christian community but society at large,” they said.

They noted that the church is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, hope and refuge, and warned that when such violence reaches the altar, it signals a serious breakdown of moral and social order.

They called on the government to enhance security in churches, apprehend the perpetrators, and set an example to deter future attacks.