In connection with the murder of athlete Edward Kiplangat, alias Benjamin, two suspects appeared before Principal Magistrate Kesse Cherono in an Eldoret court on Monday.
The accused, David Ekhai Lokere, also known as Timo (25 years old), and Peter Ushuru Khalumi (30 years old), were presented in court for a hearing, where the Magistrate granted a 21-day detention period to allow the police to complete their investigations.
DCI officer Inyasio Mwaniki, attached to Moiben sub-county in Uasin Gishu, informed the court about the ongoing investigation into the athlete’s murder. He detailed the discovery of Kiplangat’s body, showing stab wounds, leading to the subsequent arrests on January 1, 2024, in Eldoret and Kitale.
Mwaniki outlined several pending tasks, including the yet-to-be-conducted postmortem examination, analysis of evidence collected from the suspects awaiting examination at government laboratories, and scrutiny of CCTV footage from the crime scene by the cybercrime unit.
Additionally, detectives are working on retrieving and analyzing mobile phone records, vehicle registration numbers, and statements from witnesses present at the scene.
Concerns were raised about the unknown residence of the suspects, highlighting the potential risk of flight if released. Mwaniki emphasized that crucial information from the Ugandan embassy regarding the deceased’s circumstances before his death had yet to be established.
Lawyer George Sonkule, representing the accused, argued for the suspects’ freedom, citing constitutional rights. Sonkule noted that the investigations officer had not specified the charges the accused might face, urging the court to consider releasing them on bail.
