Fear has spread among congregants of Rongo Catholic Church after a nun’s body was discovered in a sewer within the church compound on Sunday, October 27.
The deceased was identified as Yvonne Jirangwa, a trainee nun at the Rongo Parish Sister Convent, who had been reported missing since Thursday, October 24.
Homa Bay Diocese head priest Gabriel Atieno confirmed that the body was found floating in a sewer pit by one of the nuns while she was running errands.
After Yvonne’s disappearance, Father Otieno reported the situation to the Rongo Police Station, which promptly launched an investigation to locate her.
The 23-year-old nun had been training at the convent for three years. Father Otieno stated that the circumstances surrounding her tragic death remain unclear, and they are collaborating closely with the police to uncover what happened.
He mentioned that Yvonne had participated in community outreach programs over the past three years and expressed that her passing is a significant loss for both the parish and her family.
Rongo Sub-County Police Commander Salim Fundi confirmed that a report regarding her disappearance was filed on Thursday, October 24. After investigating, the police located Yvonne’s body in the sewer pit.
The police commander noted that the body was taken to Rosewood Hospital Mortuary for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), a comparative analysis of murder cases from August to October between 2022 and 2024 shows a slight increase. In 2024, 339 murder cases have been reported so far, compared to 336 in 2023 and 341 in 2022 for the same timeframe.