Mystery of Kenyan missionary in Venezuela found hanging from a tree
Residents of a town in eastern Venezuela are demanding a “serious and credible” investigation into the death of Consolata missionary, Father Josiah Asa K’Okal.
The body of Father K’Okal, a member of the Consolata Missionaries Congregation, was discovered hanging from a tree by police officers in a forest area in Guara, Monagas state, on January 2, a day after he disappeared.
According to local reports, the missionary left the Congregation’s House in Paloma Sector, Tucupita Municipality, on his bicycle at around 9am, on New Year, leaving behind his identification documents and mobile phone inside the house.
At 10am he visited local residents on a section of the national highway and was last seen at around 11am.
The church issued a statement conveying their grief and seeking prayers for the soul of Father Josiah as well as solace for his family.
“With deep pain, we announce the death of Father Josiah Asa K’Okal, who had been missing since yesterday, January 1, 2024,” states the statement from the missionaries of the Consolata of Venezuela, published this January 2. In the statement, we ask for “the mercy of the Lord for him and consolation for all of us, his family and his acquaintances.”
They described Fr K’Okal as a sporty person, a habit he acquired during his time as a marathon runner in Kenya, sometimes running, cycling, and taking long trips around the communities that he combined with his evangelization work to visit the communities for which he was responsible.
“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 María Consolata have you among her chosen ones,” reads the website of the Missionary Congregation.
According to the Missionary Congregation, Fr Josiah Asa K’Okal was born on September 7, 1969 in Siaya, Nyanza, Kenya. He entered the community of Consolata Missionaries, where he made his religious profession in 1993.
After theological studies in London, he was ordained a priest on August 9, 1997. In 1997 he was sent to Venezuela, where he served in various missions. He also served his congregation as an administrator, council member, deputy superior and superior of the Delegation of Consolata Missionaries to Venezuela.
In his great commitment to the Warao indigenous people, since 2006 he has dedicated himself to the study of the language and culture of this people and has accompanied their “migration” to many regions of Venezuela and Brazil due to the crisis that the country is going through.
For his commitment and service to the Venezuelan people, he received Venezuelan citizenship and was recognized as a missionary “with the big smile”, closeness and dialogue.
In 2022, he earned a master’s degree in anthropology at FLACSO in Ecuador on the Warao migrating to Brazil: “Between vulnerability and strategic resistance: the case of the displaced Warao in Boa Vista”.
His body was transported to the nearby mortuary following the initiation of inquiries. Although the exact cause of his demise remains undisclosed, community members have implored law enforcement to apprehend any individuals who might have been involved. K’Okal was widely respected for his extraordinary devotion as a priest and his altruistic work as a missionary.