- Justice Robert Wananda directed that the suspect be escorted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret by the police.
- Later after two years, Samoei said Rotich called him for a meeting in Eldoret town where the suspect revealed that he had differed with Tirop.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
The high court in Eldoret has ordered for DNA samples to be extracted from Ibrahim Rotich who is facing trial for the murder of former World Cross-Country Champion Agnes Tirop.
Justice Robert Wananda directed that the suspect be escorted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret by the police so that required blood samples are extracted.
State Counsel David Fedha told the court that they required the blood samples to be matched with the blood found on clothes and other items in the house where the athlete was found murdered in a Rural estate in Iten town.
Rotich, who is out on a Sh400,000 bond, has since denied killing Agnes.
“Your lordship, I pray that you issue orders that we are allowed to take the samples from the suspect so that we can compare them with that on the clothes and weapon that was recovered from the scene of crime by the police as exhibits,” Fedha said.
A postmortem that was carried out by two pathologists at Iten County Referral Hospital Mortuary revealed that the deceased had suffered stabs in the neck and was hit on the head with a blunt object.
The athlete was found dead in her house in Iten on October 13, 2021. She was buried at her parent’s home in the Mosoriot area in Nandi County on October 23, 2022.
The hearing of the case has been adjourned to Friday this week when lawyers will cross-examine a key witness John Samoei who was a friend to Rotich and the deceased.
Samoei had told how suspected infidelity sparked violent rows between slain athlete Agnes Tirop and her husband Ibrahim Rotich.
He was a witness when the deceased got married to Rotich who is accused of murdering the runner.
Samoei who is from Kesses in Uasin Gishu produced a marriage certificate which showed him as as a witness.
He revealed how he and his wife Esther Koech escorted the two to register their marriage at the then-DC's office in Eldoret between 2016 and 2017.
Samoei said he was Rotich's friend since 2012 and knew Tirop through the suspect. He has known Tirop since 2015 as wife to Ibrahim.
" I was present and signed the marriage certificate between the two," Samoei said.
Later after two years, Samoei said Rotich called him for a meeting in Eldoret town where the suspect revealed that he had differed with Tirop.
The witness said Rotich informed him that he suspected a man he identified was interfering with their marriage.
Rotich wanted him to talk to the athlete so that they reconcile. Samoei said he got in touch with Agnes and they agreed to meet and talk over the complaint raised by Rotich.
Samoei said after some days Tirop who had been out of the country returned and both the athlete and Rotich visited his home.
Samoei said the couple appeared jovial and had a meal at his home after which Ibrahim said they had reconciled. Tirop and Rotich spend the night at his home.
Six witnesses including Tirop's father Vincent Tirop and her brother Martin Kimurgor have so far testified as part of the 27 witnesses lined up by the prosecution.
Rotich is represented by lawyer Ngigi Mbugua while the prosecution is led by state counsels David Fedha and Emmah Okok ENDS