Two Witnesses Give Chilling Testimony in Kipkaren Murder Trial

Two key witnesses on Thursday gave harrowing testimony before Lady Justice Emily Ominde in the ongoing murder trial of 24-year-old Kipkaren businessman Samwel Ngoko Migiro, whose brutal killing last year sent shockwaves through Uasin Gishu County.

The courtroom fell silent as the second witness, a woman, recounted in vivid detail how Migiro was viciously attacked and later bundled into the boot of a white Probox car between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on the night of his death.

“I saw them beat Sammy with rungus while he lay on the ground, helpless,” the woman testified. “Keter was hitting him repeatedly with a rungu, and I recognized him clearly because he runs a bar near where I live.”

The witness told the court that the four accused — Dennis Kiptoo, Elvis Kiptanui, Abiud Barkutwa, and Cornelius Keter — were armed with rungus and arrows as they surrounded their victim.

“He came across the road to where I was sitting and hit me on the thighs with the same rungu,” she said. “Then I watched as they forced Sammy’s body into the boot of a car. Keter called for a taxi that was parked behind his bar, and they drove away with him inside. I saw him.”

The witness added that she heard Migiro cry out once during the attack before falling silent, suggesting he may have lost consciousness or died from his injuries.

“He cried out once when they were beating him, and after that, he didn’t make another sound,” she said.

Justice Ominde adjourned the hearing to November 11 and 17, when more witnesses are expected to testify as the prosecution continues to build its case.

The murder trial, which opened earlier this week at the Eldoret High Court, has drawn widespread attention from family members, residents, and human rights groups calling for justice for the slain businessman.

According to the prosecution, the four accused were positively identified by eyewitnesses as being directly involved in the fatal assault. The accused, who appeared calm in the dock, have each undergone mental assessments at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) to confirm their fitness to stand trial.

Director of Public Prosecutions Sylvester Thuo told the court that the State’s case would rely heavily on eyewitness testimony to secure convictions.

“The prosecution intends to rely on credible eyewitness accounts that place the accused persons at the scene of the crime,” Thuo stated. “The evidence shows this was a coordinated and deliberate act, not a random assault.”

The case continues.