Prime suspect arrested in killing of Endebess Form Four student

Police in Endebess in Trans Nzoia County have arrested a man believed to be behind the killing of a 17-year-old Form Four student whose body was found in a farm earlier last week.

The suspect, identified as Mike Wabwire Semera, is accused of murdering Rael Cheptoek Kaboi, a student at Nai Girls Secondary School. The incident occurred on the morning of January 30, 2026, in the Mowlem area of Kiptogot location.

According to police, residents raised the alarm at dawn after discovering the girl’s body lying in a nearby farm.

The officers from Endebess Police Station rushed to the scene, located about 700 metres from her mother’s home, where they found the body showing visible injuries consistent with an assault.

The area was secured and documented by investigators before the body was moved to Kijana Wamalwa Referral Hospital mortuary pending a post-mortem examination.

Investigations revealed that Rael had left her home at around 5:45 a.m. to walk to school, which is less than a kilometre away, however she never arrived.

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About 45 minutes later, fellow students heading to school stumbled upon her body and alerted the authorities.

Detectives launched a manhunt and, acting on intelligence, traced the suspect to the Kenya–Uganda border at Suam.

It is alleged that Semera fled across the border shortly after the killing.

A coordinated operation involving Kenyan detectives and Ugandan security officers led to his arrest and subsequent handover to Kenyan authorities.

The suspect has since been returned to Endebess and is currently being held at Endebess Police Station as police finalize investigations ahead of his arraignment in court.

Authorities say inquiries are ongoing to establish the motive behind the killing, which has shocked and angered the local community.

By Philip Koech