Police are pursuing a suspect in the murder of a 13-year old girl at Moi's Brdige in Uasin Gishu county.
The suspect was captured on CCTV cameras with the girl, Linda Cherono, before she went missing.
Villagers found her mutilated body on Monday near the NCPB depot at Moi's Bridge.
The footage shows the man walking in an empty field at Moi’s bridge with the girl following her from behind before they disappeared into a maize farm.
Cherono who is originally from Baringo had come to visit relatives in the area as she awaited to join Form one having sat for her KCPE exam in March.
On the day she went missing, she had left her relative’s house alone to go and have her hair done at the market center. That was the last time she was seen alive.
The killing sparked off angry protests from residents who complained that Cherono’s killing was the ninth incident in the area yet police had not arrested those involved.
Soy subcounty police commander Nehemiah Bitok said they had crucial leads to net the prime suspect in the murder of the girl.
“We suspect she might have been defiled before being murdered. However, a postmortem will be carried out on the body to determine what happened to her," Bitok said.
He said the CCTV footage will help nab the suspect. The police boss appealed to the public to be calm as investigations continue.
Cherono's cousin Brian Kiptoo described her as a charming girl who freely mingled with people and loved relatives.
He said that after she went missing, residents organised a search in vain.
“We thought that because she was still new in the area she may have gotten lost on her way back home. It its shocking that they did this to her,”Kiptoo said.
Residents led by Peter Kimetto said the murder of the girl is the ninth incident. Most of the victims are usually found with some body parts missing and they suspect it could be linked to some rituals.
“We have lost nine people in such a brutal way and police must use all means to arrest those involved,” Kimetto said.
Governor Jackson Mandago urged residents to remain calm and let the authorities probe the matter to ensure those involved are apprehended.
Residents demanded the transfer all officers from the area accusing them of laxity.
However, Mandago said they would find out the problem causing laxity at the station so that it is addressed.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
