Man accused of murdering brother’s three children to know fate in September

James Ratemo and his wife Ebby, in deep grief at Kapsoya estate Uasin Gishu County following the death of their three children who were found murdered in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

A 29-year-old man accused of murdering his brother’s three children will know his fate on September 22 when the High Court in Eldoret delivers its judgement.

Enoch Onsanse is said to have murdered James Ratemo Nyambane’s children, namely Clifford Nyambane (six), Taniy Nyamweya (five) and Glen Ongaki (three) some three years ago.

The three children went missing on May 13, 2017.

Their bodies were recovered from river Nzoia a week later.

Postmortem report from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Eldoret would later confirm that the children were strangled before their bodies were dumped in River Nzoia.

Witnesses who testified told the court that Onsanse was the last person to be seen with the children before they disappeared.

During the hearing of the case in 2018, a witness told the court he saw the accused with the children the same day they went missing.

He told Justice Stephen Githinji he saw Onsase with the three children at Chepkoilel Matatu terminus along Eldoret - Iten road on the same Saturday they went missing for good.

“I saw Enoch with the three children donned in white T-Shirts and jeans. He was ahead of me as I was heading to my workshop that morning,” the witness told the court.

He further stated that the accused was known to him, as he used to work for his brother.

The children’s mother Ebby Isaji broke down as she testified, recounting how the accused person refused to pick her calls when she was calling to enquire about the whereabouts of her missing children.

“My efforts to reach my brother-in-law to inquire if he had seen my children proved futile. He completely refused to pick up my phone calls,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

The court was forced to suspend the hearing to allow her time to compose herself.

Her husband, Nyambane, told the court that as the family was on with the burial arrangements, his brother called him using a strange number asking him to forgive him for what he did.

“Your honour, as we were planning for the burial of my deceased children I received a call from someone who I perceived to be my brother while in custody, asking me to forgive him for what he did to me.

“The caller told me he knew that it was painful for me while requesting forgiveness,” Nyambane told the court.

Another witness who, a minor, also told the court he saw the accused standing on the rock where the children were last seen before disappearing.

“I saw uncle Enoch standing on the rock near our home while scrolling his phone as he walked on the rock,” the nine-year-old minor told the court.

She said she saw them that fateful morning while she was heading to school.

The Prosecution presented five witnesses in the case. The case was closed on February 19 after the witnesses had testified.

Onsanse had also made his defence case arguing that he was not involved in the murder of his niece and nephews.

Justice Githinji is scheduled to hand down the court’s decision on September 22, determining whether the accused is guilty or not.