SOUTHERN Province acting commanding officer Alfred Nawa has confirmed that Catholic Priest Kenan Chibawe has shot himself dead.

In an interview, Thursday, Nawa said the incident happened on April 21, 2022 around 10:30 hours when the deceased excused himself from a meeting to pick up a phone call from a strange number.

“I can confirm to you that today 21st April, 2022 at around 10:30 hours, a report of sudden and unnatural death was received at Namwala police station. The report was made be male Patrick Kambombi aged 41 of a Catholic church and also a father at the same church. He reported to the fact that male Kenan Chibawe, 51, of Catholic parish house in Namwala shot himself using a shot gun and died on the spot,” he said.

“Brief facts of the matter are that a meeting was held with the deceased and four others to review how the Easter holiday celebrations were held. During the meeting, the deceased received a phone call from an unknown source to which he excused himself to his room in the building. After 20 minutes, the reporter heard a gunshot and when they rushed to the room, they found the deceased lying in a pool of blood, alongside was a shotgun. Police visited the scene and confirmed that the deceased pointed the gun. A shotgun was retrieved a meter from the deceased’s body. The same body is lying at Namwala hospital mortuary.”

He said the phone had since been confisticated for further examination to ascertain what could have been passed to the deceased for him to take such an action.

“We have retrieved the phone, we have confiscated the phone and it is under police custody so that we can subject it to forensic examinations to find out what information could have been passed that made a clergyman take such an action and we will subject it to further examination,” said Nawa.

And in a circulation, Thirsday, Catholic Diocese of Monze apostolic administrator Fr Francesco Airoldi also confirmed and announced the death of Reverend Father Kenan Chibawe.

He said Fr Chibabwe, who was ordained Priest in 1999, had died at the age of 50 adding that the deceased’s contribution to evangelisation would be greatly missed by the church.