- Police have launched an investigation after the bodies of two missing students were found in a sugarcane plantation in Sigowet-Soin, Kericho County.
- Reports have emerged that the victims’ families received a KSh2 million ransom demand which they were unable to pay.
- DCI detectives have arrested three suspects as they work to establish the motive behind the killings.
Detectives in Kericho County are investigating the deaths of two students whose bodies were found in a sugarcane plantation at Kong’eren Location, Sigowet-Soin, six days after they went missing, amid reports that their families had been asked to pay KSh2 million in ransom.
The victims, 18-year-old Victor Kipkoech Bett, a Form Four student at Mosisa Secondary School in Kisii County, and 16-year-old Patricia Chepkoech, a Form Three student at Lelu Secondary School in Kipkelion. Their families were reportedly unable to raise the ransom demanded before the bodies were discovered.
Soin OCPD Lawrence Kasini confirmed that the case has been handed over to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers from Kericho, who are pursuing several leads to establish the circumstances surrounding the students’ disappearance and deaths.
Suspects Arrested
Police have arrested several suspects in connection with the case. Local reports indicate that three suspects were detained following operations in Kipsitet and Kapsoit trading centres.
The bodies were reportedly found with injuries to the head, neck and hands, with their hands said to have been tied using clothes — details that suggest the two may have struggled with their attackers. There are also reports that the bodies may have been doused with an acidic substance before being dumped, though investigators have yet to establish the circumstances surrounding this claim. The motive behind the killings remains under investigation.
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Residents in the area have expressed shock over the deaths and called for swift investigations, justice for the victims, and enhanced security. As detectives continue pursuing the case, the community is awaiting answers on how the two students disappeared and what ultimately led to their deaths.
By Kimutai Langat
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