Bomet suspect surrenders to police

A 19-year-old woman yesterday surrendered to the police after she allegedly stabbed a young man, killing him on the spot.

The woman walked into Bomet Central Police Station with a blood-stained knife she claimed to have stabbed 22-year-old Kevin Kiptoo with.

Bomet Central Commander Geoffrey Walumbe said they were yet to establish the motive for the attack.

“The woman surrendered to the station and said she feared being lynched by the public. She had a blood-stained knife. We are still interrogating her to establish the motive for the attack,” Mr Walumbe said.

Locals interviewed by The Standard said prior to the attack, the assailant had been spotted at the trading centre, moving from one drinking joint to another, armed with a knife. She claimed to have been looking for a woman who had snatched her man.

But relatives of the deceased said they were not aware of any relationship between their son and the suspect.

Rising insecurity

Police said she surrendered to them on Sunday at around 7am. The incident occurred on Saturday night. Police said Chepkoech was yet to record a statement.

Residents of Kapkwen in Chepalungu decried rising insecurity in the area.

Protesting the killing on Sunday morning, the resident accused police of laxity, saying they have been left without protection as criminals terrorise them, especially at night.

“Barely a day goes by without a shop being broken into or someone being attacked at night,” a resident said, demanding that police officers be deployed to the shopping centre.

The residents said they had made several reports on insecurity, but nothing had been done to improve the situation.

“The chief is aware of the complaints on insecurity but no action has been taken,” said Bernard Sang, a resident.

On Saturday’s incident, a resident who stumbled on Kiptoo’s body raised the alarm.

A relative said Kiptoo, who cleared secondary school last year, left home for the market after taking super at around 8pm on Saturday night.

“He left home after taking supper and a few minutes later we were called that he had been stabbed,” she said.

She said they rushed to the scene and found him lying in a pool of blood. They took a motorbike and rushed him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.