Nairobi, Kenya - The police yesterday claimed a Catholic priest was behind the killing of Isiolo Bishop Luigi Locati.
Detectives investigating the bishop's murder two weeks ago suspect five people in custody carried out the actual killing.
A police source in Isiolo yesterday said the priest was one of the two, arrested last week. The clergyman is still detained at the station.
Two of the five suspects believed to have been hired by the priest, were arrested last Friday
The source said the priest had recently differed with the bishop after he (the priest) was asked to return a vehicle he bought for his parish.
Another source from the Church said the priest could not return the four-wheel drive vehicle because he bought it on hire purchase.
He alleged that the priest was given money to buy the vehicle for cash but he opted for hire purchase and diverted some of the money to his personal use.
After failing to pay the monthly installments he exchanged the vehicle for a Saloon car with a company in Nanyuki.
Central Province Criminal Investigation Departmen boss Mohammed Amin confirmed that the priests plotted the killing of the bishop.
He said three of the suspected killers were still at large but was confident that his team would get them.
"We have their personal details including photos. We will get them sooner or later," Amin said.
With the arrests the CID officers are confident that they are almost through with the investigations.
And the officers have impounded a vehicle belonging to the alleged mastermind.
Amin said the vehicle is dotted with bloodstains, adding that forensic experts from Nairobi were assisting in matching the bloodstains with those of the suspects and the slain bishop.
The bishop was gunned down at 7.30pm on July 14 as he walked to his house. He was from taking supper at a pastoral centre.
He was shot twice in the head and died while undergoing treatment at the district hospital.