Police in Bomet are investigating the death of a 52-year-old teacher whose body was found in a lodging in Silibwet town on Wednesday.
He was a teacher at Keliot Primary School in Bomet Central.
The deceased had gone missing for five days, prompting a frantic search by his family.
Neighbours became suspicious after detecting a strong odour emanating from one of the lodging rooms.
They alerted the local administration, who then forced their way into the room, only to discover the teacher’s body.
He owned the lodging where his body was found.
Reports indicate that the teacher had been ailing for some time and was undergoing kidney dialysis treatment.
The deceased had informed the caretaker, Sarafina Chepngetich, that he was going for a medical checkup about two weeks prior.
Chepngetich said her last communication with him was a month ago, following his discharge from AGC Tenwek Hospital.
Silibwet town elder Weldon Ngetich said he was going about his daily routine when two women informed him of the foul smell coming from the lodging.
“I called the area assistant chief, and we visited the scene where we found the teacher's lifeless body,” Ngetich said.
He said the teacher had mentioned feeling better, but they had not communicated since.
Deputy executive secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers Bomet branch, Geoffrey Bett, was present at the scene.
He expressed his condolences to the deceased family.
“The death is a significant loss to both the family and the teaching fraternity,” Bett said.
He said the teacher had fallen ill two months ago and had been under medication.
Upon receiving news of the teacher’s death at around 10 am, Bett and other officials visited the scene.
They reported the matter to the police who invited officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe the incident.
“We are waiting for the DCI to conclude its investigation so we can determine the cause of the teacher’s death.
"We urge patience and caution against speculating about the circumstances until the investigation is complete,” Bett said.
