• The two of the initiates died while others have been admitted at Unison Medical Centre, in Rumuruti.
• Julius Chesang, the father of the deceased has been arrested and is assisting the police with investigations.
Detectives are pursuing a caregiver in Rumuruti, Laikipia County following a botched circumcision that left two initiates dead.
The police said that one of the victims identified as George Kibet was hurriedly buried at an unidentified grave by the caregiver after succumbing to the condition.
The caregiver, who has been identified as Sitienei Kibiomet, is said to have closely collaborated with the father of Kibet without the knowledge of other family members.
Some of the family members demanded to know the whereabouts of their kin, forcing the caregiver to disappear from his Ndurumo home in Rumuruti, after being informed that the police were about to arrest him.
The detectives have already launched a manhunt for him, but Julius Chesang, the father of the deceased has been arrested and is assisting the police with investigations.
The two boys were among the 25 young men who underwent the rite of passage on December 15, 2020, administered by a clinical officer, and were handed over to Sitienei.
However, as they were recuperating, some of them were infected with a yet to be established infection and have been seeking medication from a medical practitioner.
The two of the initiates died while others have been admitted at Unison Medical Centre, in Rumuruti.
It is during their investigations that detectives established that prior to Kibet’s death, another initiate had died and was buried within the precincts of the caregiver’s compound.
Officers are yet to establish the exact spot where the remains of the second initiate were buried.
As investigations continue, the detectives will be seeking exhumation orders for the body of the initiate buried in Sitienei’s compound, for an autopsy to be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Also, the detectives will widen their investigations to establish whether Covid-19 restrictions were adhered to and if relevant government agencies were notified, including whether burial permits were issued.
Members of the public have been asked to report to the nearby police station or use the toll-free line 0800 722 203 if they have any information on the whereabouts of the caregiver, Sitienei.