ELGEYO MARAKWET, Kenya — The Catholic Church has suspended all missionary activities in Kenya’s volatile Kerio Valley, including the closure of the vital Chesongoch Mission Hospital, after the killing of a local priest by suspected bandits, church officials confirmed Friday.
In a statement dated May 30, 2025, the Missionary Benedictine Sisters announced the immediate cessation of services, citing escalating violence and the psychological trauma inflicted on church personnel.
“There has been high tension of insecurity causing mental, emotional, and psychological trauma to our sisters,” the statement read. It added that the deteriorating security situation has made it nearly impossible to operate, as staff flee for their lives.
The Chesongoch Mission Hospital, a critical lifeline for residents of Elgeyo Marakwet County, has been shuttered due to staff shortages and safety risks. The hospital, managed by the Catholic Church and staffed by dozens of lay personnel and nuns, served hundreds of people in the region, many of whom now face a healthcare vacuum.
The Catholic Church employs approximately 100 workers in its Kerio Valley operations, including medical personnel, clergy, and support staff. All have now been withdrawn.
“The safety of the sisters working in the region, employees, and those who visit the mission for services must be prioritized,” said the Missionary Benedictine Sisters.
The shutdown follows the recent murder of Father Alloys Bett, a priest at St. Mulumba Parish near Tot, who was ambushed and killed by suspected bandits. Father Bett was well known for his peace advocacy efforts in a region plagued by communal conflict and armed attacks.
He is set to be laid to rest next Tuesday.
His death has deepened the church’s concerns about the deteriorating security environment, prompting an urgent reassessment of the viability of maintaining a missionary presence in Kerio Valley.
The church emphasized that the closure is not only a protective measure but also a form of protest aimed at pressuring the Kenyan government to restore order and disarm civilians in the region.
“If the community does not consider our mission as essential to them, then there is no need for our presence,” the statement added, underscoring the church’s frustration and disappointment.
Local leaders and civil society groups have repeatedly appealed for a stronger state presence in Kerio Valley, a region long afflicted by inter-communal cattle rustling, banditry, and lawlessness.
The closure of the Chesongoch Mission Hospital leaves a significant gap in medical services for the area, with many residents depending entirely on the facility for healthcare access. Without immediate state intervention or replacement services, lives may be at risk, particularly among vulnerable populations.
The church’s departure from Kerio Valley marks one of the most severe responses yet by a religious institution to Kenya’s ongoing rural insecurity crisis.
