Agnes Tirop case stalls after prime suspect Ibrahim Rotich skips court for fifth time
The repeated absence of the accused has now left the court and the public in limbo, with no clear timeline for when the trial will finally begin.
The case involving the murder of world-renowned athlete Agnes Tirop has been halted yet again after the prime suspect, Ibrahim Rotich, failed to appear in court for the fifth consecutive time.
This prompted Eldoret presiding judge Robert Wananda to issue a stern rebuke against officers from the DCI homicide unit for their continued failure to produce the suspect.
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Justice Wananda expressed displeasure over what he termed as delays caused by the investigating team, accusing them of dragging their feet and frustrating the court’s efforts to hear and conclude the case.
He said the slow pace in tracing and arresting the suspect was unacceptable and unfair to the family of the slain runner.
Rotich was granted bail in 2023 after applying to be released while awaiting trial. He was ordered to pay Sh500,000 in cash and adhere to conditions that included staying away from Iten town, where the murder happened, and remaining within Uasin Gishu County.
The court also directed him to report to the DCI offices at Central Police Station in Eldoret every Monday.
Despite the strict terms, Rotich has not shown up in court since February 27, 2025, and remains missing, making it impossible for the trial to proceed.
Tirop was discovered dead in her house in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on October 13, 2021. A postmortem carried out by a government pathologist at the Iten County Referral Hospital confirmed that she had multiple neck stab wounds and injuries from a blunt object to the head.
Justice Wananda said the continued failure by authorities to apprehend and bring the suspect to court was a major obstacle to the trial. He warned that unless the DCI acts quickly, the matter risks being delayed indefinitely.
The repeated absence of the accused has now left the court and the public in limbo, with no clear timeline for when the trial will finally begin.
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