To spread your faith would you board a plane to a war inflicted zone in another country?Well the challenge that has already been taken by bold men of cloth and our soldiers, recently left Kenyans mourning.
Cosmos Omboto Ondari, a 33-year-old cleric, who was shot dead on a Wednesday this November at a church in Kembong in the Southwest region, has been eulogised as a brave person who left the comfort of his native home in Bomachoge Chache, Kisii County, to serve in a conflict zone.
“Eyewitnesses said that he was killed by government soldiers who were firing at random from their vehicle,” said a statement from the bishop of Mamfe, Andrew Nkea, whose diocese covers Kembong.
He was presiding over an evening mass at the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone region, where separatists are waging an armed insurgency.
A certain Mr Johnson Ndip Nchop was also gunned down in front of his house a few metres away from the church building.
“We ardently wish that these murders cease in our diocese and the Anglophone regions of Cameroon,”bishop Andrew said, urging “all people involved in the killing of innocent civilians to abstain from these inhuman and monstrous acts”.
In Yaounde, defence ministry spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck dismissed allegations that the army had acted lawlessly.
“We shall have the first elements of an inquiry and we shall communicate them as soon as possible,” Badjeck said on social media.
Fr Omboto, 33 years old was the fourth born in a family of six and had served about three years as a missionary when death came calling.
The clergyman was buried at the Nyabururu Mission graveyard in Kisii on Thursday, a ceremony that dozens of political leaders attended.
They included Deputy Governor Joash Maangi and Bomachoge Chache legislator Alfa Miruka.
Catholic Church leaders led by Bishop John Mairura likened Fr Omboto’s death to that of a martyr.
“He died while preaching the gospel. He was a soldier in the faith. The church looks forward to meeting him again when the roll call is called up yonder,” Bishop Mairura said.
The Kenyan priest had only been ordained in March 2017 and a month later, he was put in charge of Kembong parish, working with those displaced by the conflict.
Clashes between the armed forces and separatists take place almost daily in the two Anglophone regions on the western flank of Cameroon, where resentment at perceived neglect and arrogance by the French-speaking majority has led to an uprising.
Separatists in scattered groups in the equatorial forest attack troops, who are in turn accused of atrocities against civilians.
Bishop Marura during the burial also pointed that the mission to spread the gospel will not be hampered by isolated incidents of thuggery and violence.