Mob lynches man who killed teacher over love gone sour

Crime scene


Photo credit: File

Police in West Pokot County have said a man killed his girlfriend on Thursday evening in Pusol sub-location in a suspected case of love gone sour.

Vincent Kibet, 35, allegedly killed teacher Lydia Cheruiyot, 30, at Samich Primary School. Locals then tracked him down hours later and lynched him.

Ms Cheruiyot had recently been transferred from Eldama Ravine in Baringo County and had been at her new school for only two days.

Kipkomo sub-county Police Commander Adano Abukula said Mr Kibet murdered the teacher at her new residence in the school compound at around 8pm on Thursday before disappearing.

“Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers from Kapenguria visited the scene and found Lydia Cheruiyot’s body lying outside the semi-permanent house she lived in, facing upwards, half naked with multiple visible injuries on her right thigh, hands and left side of the chest,” he said.

She was stabbed several times with a knife after a quarrel, police said.

“A bag of clothes with a 3-litre yellow jerry can containing flammable liquid suspected to be petrol that belonged to the suspect was recovered and kept as an exhibit,” he said.

Pusol sub-location assistant chief Jacob Lokedi said Mr Kibet had travelled all the way from Eldama Ravine to visit his girlfriend but a quarrel erupted between the two.

“After murdering the lady, Kibet took off. When we woke up in the morning we started searching for him. He had not gone far and we found him just next to the school and he had stabs on his body, but was still alive,” he said.

Locals descended on the man and lynched him. 

The teacher had two children.

The bodies were moved to the Kapenguria County Referral and Teaching Hospital mortuary.