Five people, including a couple, have been arrested in Eldoret in connection with the death of a senior hotel manager in a case police suspect could be linked to a love triangle.
The five — Allan Tuiyot, Elvis Ambani, Jackson Sifuna, Fredrick Seroney and Betty Jeptoo Bii — were arraigned before Resident Magistrate Naima Chelagat as police sought orders to detain them for two weeks to complete investigations.
The suspects are being held as persons of interest in the death of Peter Sema, who worked as the chief accountant at a hotel in Eldoret.
Investigating officer Eric Ruto told the court that Sema’s body was found near Kipkorgot Centre, a few yards from his car and close to a home where investigators suspect he was beaten.
The alleged offence occurred on the night of August 6 at Kipkorgot in Ainabkoi Subcounty, Uasin Gishu County.
Ruto said preliminary investigations established that Sema’s white Toyota Axio was parked about 150 metres from where his body was found, near Kipkorgot Centre along the Eldoret-Kaptagat road.
Investigations subsequently led police to the homestead of Tuiyot and Jeptoo at Tuiyot Farm in Kipkorgot.
The officer said the two were not at the homestead when investigators arrived and that their mobile phones had been switched off. Police, however, spotted blood stains on the veranda of the main house.
Three suspects who were at the homestead were arrested on Friday, August 7, to assist with investigations.
Ruto told the court that Tuiyot later presented himself to police accompanied by his lawyer and was arrested. His wife, Jeptoo, was also arrested.
Police are seeking to detain the five for 14 days, arguing that releasing them could expose witnesses and exhibits to interference or intimidation.
“There is high risk of witnesses and exhibits interference or intimidation by some of the respondents if released on bond or police cash bail before conclusion of investigations owing to the position held in the community,” Ruto told the court.
He said investigators needed time to recover the suspected murder weapon, arrest other possible accomplices, record statements from key witnesses and obtain communication data from relevant authorities.
Blood samples collected from the scene are yet to be taken to the Government Chemist for forensic analysis, the court heard. Police also want to conduct mental-status assessments on the suspects.
Investigators further want to recover Sema’s mobile phone and other personal belongings and subject the phones recovered from the suspects to forensic analysis.
The police file will also be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for perusal and advice.
Ruto described the case as a complex investigation, citing the behaviour of the respondents and their lack of fixed abodes, and said investigators required more time to complete their work.
Jeptoo, through her lawyer George Sonkule, opposed the application for her continued detention.
Sonkule told the court that his client was not at the scene when the incident occurred and had been in hospital attending to a sick child.
He urged the court to release her as investigations continued.
The magistrate is expected to rule on the police application seeking to detain the five suspects for two weeks.
