Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a man who was abducted, tortured and drowned in Sosiani River in Eldoret.
Police have linked the four to the murder of a 22-year-old trader, Samuel Migire Ngoko, in Kipkaren estate in Eldoret City after his body was recovered in the river.
A court has granted police 21 days to detain the suspects pending investigations.
The suspects were arraigned before Eldoret Senior Principal Magistrate Mogire Onkoba.
The suspects were not allowed to take plea after the investigating officer, Polycarp Shitekha made an application to detain them for three weeks pending investigations.
State Counsel Patrick Onjoro, the investigating officer, told the court that they were yet to complete investigations into the alleged murder.
“We believe the respondents are the prime suspects and hence we need sufficient time to complete the investigations,” Onjoro said.
Police reports claim the suspects were the last people to be seen beating the deceased before drowning him while alive in river Sosian to disguise that he drowned.
The state intends to charge the respondents with murder contrary to section 203, read with section 204 of the Penal Code.
The suspects allegedly subjected the deceased to grievous harm before throwing him into the river Sosian on May 2 after injuring him.
Detectives told the court that the suspects were allegedly seen assaulting the deceased before his body was retrieved from the river.
Initially, the incident was reported at Bahraini police station as a missing person.
Police embarked on a search for the suspects after the case of the retrieved body was reported at Pioneer Police Station.
The suspects were arrested in their hideout at Kipkaren estate on May 14.
Onjoro said key witnesses are yet to record statements, adding that the suspects are flight risk since they don't have a well-known address.
"Due to the gravity of the matter, prosecution application is allowed," the Magistrate ruled.
The matter will be mentioned on June 5.
Human rights activists led by Kimutai Kirui have been pushing for justice in the case, among others, in the same area.
“Criminal activities in Kipkaren are mainly a result of rampant land grabbing in Kipkaren in the area,” Kirui said.
Kirui alleged that the criminal gangs were now threatening Ngoko's family not to bury him in their land in the area.
“The government must act and stop illegal acts by the criminals in that area,” Kirui said.
