How two Elgeyo Marakwet who were abducted over murder of Catholic priest were killed
Both victims had their hands chopped off. Kipyatich had soft tissue injuries and string marks around his neck, while Chacha’s body showed signs of blunt trauma and was badly mutilated.
A post-mortem conducted on the bodies of two Elgeyo Marakwet residents who were allegedly abducted by police has confirmed that both men died from strangulation, with signs of torture before death.
The two men were allegedly abducted over the murder of Catholic Priest Allois Bett of St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish in Elgeyo Marakwet County, who was shot and killed by unknown assailants.
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The bodies of Collins Kipyatich, 22, and Simeon Yego Chacha, 45, were found dumped along a roadside in Rongai, Nakuru county, on June 1, two days after their disappearance.
The post-mortem, carried out at the Nakuru City Mortuary on Thursday by government pathologist Dr Titus Ngulungu, was witnessed by family members and human rights defenders.
Ngulungu concluded that Kipyatich died from asphyxia caused by manual compression, while Chacha died from smothering.
“As a result of my examination, I have formed the opinion that the cause of death for both the victims was asphyxia. We have collected samples for toxicological profiling,” he said.
He added that both victims had their hands chopped off.
Kipyatich had soft tissue injuries and string marks around his neck, while Chacha’s body showed signs of blunt trauma and was badly mutilated.
Richard Chebet, a relative of Kipyatich, described the condition of the body as horrific, saying it was clear he had been strangled.
“We do not know what he did to deserve such. The injuries are just too much; he has left a young family; his wife has a two-week-old baby. He was not a criminal; he was a known farmer, and if he had wronged them, he could have just been arrested and taken to court instead of killing him. He was sick when they picked him,” he said.
Chebet said Kipyatich had gone to the Tot Health Centre for treatment before being picked up by police officers.
Although taken to the Tot Police Station, he was not booked in, and the family was turned away when they sought answers.
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