Missionary travel Kenya Uganda Tanzania

Police said 46-year old priest Philip Valayam ofAfrica in 1998 and before working in Kenya
Roman Catholic Church who also worked asserved at the Salesian Seminary in Tanzania, as
professor at Tangaza College of the Catholicprofessor of philosophy.
University of Eastern Africa, was attacked byAfter a break for studies in Rome in 2002, he
gangsters while driving home after celebrating areturned to the region and was assigned to Don
mid-night mass. He was shot in the early hoursBosco Youth Educational Services and appointed
of Sunday, December 25, ironically near the postAcademic Advisor to the Catholic University of
of a security firm, CISA noted.Eastern Africa and other institutes."Until his death
"The thugs had no time to rob him as personnelhe was ministering to various religious
from the security post raised alarm and policecongregations and youth groups in various
arrived soon," Priest Matua of the Don Bosco toldsecondary and tertiary levels.
journalists Tuesday, December 26. It was unclearCatholic officials said his death was a reminder of
if any arrests were made and police officialsthe insecurity in Kenya Uganda Tanzania and
could not immediately be reached for clarificationother regions where missionaries work. Priest
Police reportedly took him to hospital but he wasValayam joins a “long list of Church clergy
pronounced dead on arrival. Salesian priests andwho have been killed in Kenya since the murder
other Christians and religious representativesof Father John Kaiser of the Mill Hill Missionaries,"
gathered for "a solemn Eucharist Celebration" atsaid the Don Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia
the spot where the priest was shot,Services (BEAMS) Kaiser had been investigating
Arrangements were reportedly being made toallegations of murder, rape and corruption at the
transport his body to India. Philip Valayam washeart of the Kenyan government before he died
born March 23, 1958, and ordained priest onin 2000.
December 29, 1987 in India. He came to Eastern