Josiah Asa K’okal: Missing Kenyan Catholic Priest Found Dead in Venezuelan Forest

 

The Warao community from the Delta Amacuro state in eastern Venezuela has demanded answers into the death of Father Josiah Asa K'Okal, a Consolata missionary from Kenya. Father Josiah Asa K'Okal's lifeless body was found a day after he went missing.  The body of Fr K'Okal was discovered by police officers hanging from a tree in a forest area in Guara on Tuesday, January 2, a day after he disappeared.  "This Tuesday, around 10:30 in the morning, the discovery of a body with characteristics similar to those of the priest was announced. Immediately, a commission from the Congregation went to the scene and confirmed that the body is that of priest Josiah K'Okal," read a local report in part.A report by Agenzia Fides revealed that the missionary had been missing since Monday, January 1, 2024, when he left the Congregation's House on his bicycle in the morning. He reportedly did not carry his identification documents and cell phone, which he left in the house and did not tell anybody where he was headed. When was Fr K'Okal last seen? The cleric was allegedly last seen at around 11am after visiting residents of the Janokosebe settlement on a section of the national highway. K'Okal had reportedly incorporated sporting activities into his evangelical duties and would sometimes run, cycle or take long trips. The Consolata missionaries have eulogised the priest, thanking him for his unconditional service to Venezuelans. "Dear brother, may your soul rest in peace. Thank you for so much love for this Venezuelan land, thank you for being a great missionary. May Maria Consolata keep you among her chosen ones," reads a message on their website. K'Okal was born on September 7, 1969, in Siaya and entered the community of Consolata Missionaries, where he made his religious profession in 1993. After theological studies in England, he was ordained a priest on August 9, 1997, before being sent to Venezuela, where he served in various missions. Priest dead in Murang'a hotel Earlier, a priest, identified as Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku, aged 43, was pronounced dead on the morning of Saturday, July 8, after his girlfriend rushed him to the hospital with the hotel workers. A police report indicated that the two checked into Monalisa Hotel Delview in Gatanga the preceding evening, but he felt unwell the following morning. RThe Catholic father was pronounced dead while still in his car, which had been used to take him to the hospital. 

by  Didacus Malowa