Student charged with killing girlfriend seek plea bargain

A university student charged with killing his girlfriend is seeking a plea bargain with the Office of the Public Prosecutions.

Edmond Ruto 24 (pictured), a former Egerton University student through lawyer Paul Odhiambo informed the court on Monday that they are writing to the DPP seeking to have a plea bargain.

“We are in the process and will forward the documents to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions,” said Lawyer Odhiambo.

Ruto is accused of killing Cynthia Chelang’at, a Fourth-year Bachelor of Agriculture student Egerton University student.

He allegedly committed the offence on February 19, 2018, at Njokerio Estate in Njoro, Nakuru County, an offence he denied.

He allegedly stabbed the deceased severally with a knife.

A post-mortem conducted on the body of the deceased indicates that the cause of death was an injury to the vessels of the neck and injury to the trachea.

“The deceased had more than six stab wounds, the most significant was the one being on the neck,” stated Dr. Titus Ngulungu, a Government pathologist who had testified earlier.

A pre-bail report filed in court concerning Ruto indicates that he lived with the deceased for four years.

It was revealed that the suspect planned to marry the deceased.

“While in campus, the accused claimed he had been cohabiting with the woman since September 2014. He had intent to marry her,” read part of the probation report by County Probation Director Paul King’e.

According to the report, Mr Ruto had been a student at Egerton University since September 2013 and was studying economics and statistics.

But lack of college fees compelled him to defer his studies in September 2014 to May 2015. He resumed his studies as a second-year student in September 2017.

In the report, differences between the couple arose when the woman, who was also an Egerton University student, opted to move out and live with her cousin.

The case will be mentioned in February 17, 2020.