Second suspect in killing of marathoner Samson Kandie gets 15 years in jail

Vincent Kiprono who has been sentenced to serve 15 years in jail

A second suspect in the killing of marathon athlete Samson Kandie has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Vincent Kiprono entered a plea bargain with the state, leading to the withdrawal of the murder charge. He will now serve as a state witness in the ongoing murder trial against Kandie’s widow, Rose Chepkemoi.

Justice Reuben Nyakundi said that although Kiprono pleaded guilty to manslaughter, it was clear that a serious offence had been committed.

“Samson Kandie would be alive today if you had not participated in the act of terminating his life,” the judge said, rejecting Kiprono’s request for a non-custodial sentence.

Kandie was attacked and killed at his home in the Elgon View area of Eldoret on October 3, 2024.

Justice Nyakundi said he found no mitigating circumstances to justify a non-custodial sentence. In mitigation, Kiprono said he was 29 years old and had no previous criminal record. However, the judge ruled that his age and clean record did not warrant leniency.

“The fact that you went for the highest level of crime, that is the termination of life, defeats the argument for a lesser sentence,” Nyakundi said.

He questioned whether plea bargains are always the best route in serious murder cases, emphasising that the right to life must be protected.

“Many Kenyans who are in the graves because of such murder cases would be enjoying the right to life. Many families have been rendered orphans due to such violence,” he said.

The judge noted that the incident was not accidental but involved planning and execution. He nevertheless thanked Kiprono for accepting responsibility by pleading guilty.

Last month, another suspect, Jamlick Murgit, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to murder. Eldoret Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Areri adopted the plea agreement between Murgit and the prosecution.

According to the charge sheet, Murgit conspired with others to kill Kandie at Elgon View Estate in Kesses Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County, on October 3, 2024.

Both Murgit and Kiprono forfeited their right to appeal and will testify as State witnesses in the trial against Chepkemoi, who will now stand trial alone. The case is set for mention on March 15, 2026.

Five witnesses, including the couple’s daughter Vienna, have testified.

Vienna told the court that her parents frequently quarrelled over allegations of infidelity. She said her mother repeatedly accused Kandie of having an affair, which he denied.

She recounted that on October 1, 2024, after a heated argument, her father left home, saying he was going “to look for peace, which he could not find at home". ”.

On the evening of October 3, Vienna said she and her mother returned home to find Kandie’s car in the compound but no lights on in the house. When she called his phone, a man answered and told her to look for her father in the toilet.

She told the court she found her father tied up and injured in the outdoor toilet. He was rushed to hospital but later died.

The trial against Chepkemoi is ongoing.