Police hunting for man who hacked Form Three girl to death

Police in Kabarnet, Baringo Central, are hunting for a 30-year-old man from Kaptalam village who allegedly hacked to death a Form Three girl on Wednesday under mysterious circumstances.

The 18-year-old student at Seretunin Day Secondary School died on the spot. She had deep cuts in her neck and hands.

The suspect, Thomas Kiplagat, is said to have fled and was still at large.

Ewalel location Chief Patrick Kiprop said he received a distress call from locals at around 10am on Wednesday that a secondary school student had been murdered at her home.

“When I arrived at the scene, a sombre mood had engulfed the homestead, which was filled with shocked locals who were coming to terms with the incident,” Mr Kiprop said. 

“The girl’s body, which was lying in a pool of blood, was badly mutilated, with deep cuts on her neck and hands, an indication that she was hacked using a sharp machete. I am informed she died on the spot.”

One shoe suspected to belong to the assailant was found in the compound, he said. That led them to his house, where they found the other shoe.

Daniel Korir, a local, told the Nation that the schoolgirl had not been school that day. She was alone at home and her mother was working at a neighbour’s house a few metres away.

“The girl comes from a very humble background and they rely on menial jobs for virtually everything, including school fees,” Mr Korir said. 

“We were informed that the mother had instructed the girl to remain at home to guard the house because a thief had stolen more than 40kg of beans from their granary the previous week, and they could not take chances anymore.”

The student obliged, but barely two hours later, her mother heard her wailing.

With neighbours, she rushed to the home, only to find the girl already dead and her badly mutilated body lying in a pool of blood. But no one else was in the compound.

“The mother claimed that when she was leaving, she saw the suspect cutting twigs in a bush some metres from their house but she didn’t suspect anything sinister,” Mr Korir said. 

“We suspect that the man is the thief that usually steals beans from the family’s homestead and he murdered the schoolgirl to conceal his crime.”

He added: “The girl’s hands had deep cuts, which we suspect she sustained while defending herself from the attacker. We are still perturbed on why the suspect, who is a very reserved man, committed the heinous act. 

“Now that he is still at large, locals are living in fear and police should act swiftly to arrest him.”

Baringo Central sub-county Police Commander Christine Kola said they were pursuing the suspect.

“We do not have much information on what transpired but all the fingers are pointing at the said suspect after his shoe was found at the deceased’s compound,” Ms Kola said. 

“Preliminary reports indicate that he was aiming to steal at the homestead but was [caught] by the girl and he resorted to killing her to conceal the evidence.

[email protected]