Man Dies After Falling Into 50-Foot Borehole in Kapsabet as Series of Tragic Incidents Reported Across Counties

By Emmaculate Cheruto 

A routine attempt to retrieve a jerrican turned fatal for a man in Kapsabet, Nandi County, after he slipped and fell into a 50-foot-deep borehole on Wednesday. Police identified the victim as Geoffrey Mutai, who had descended into the family-owned borehole to recover the container used for fetching water.

According to police and residents, Mutai is believed to have lost his footing and plunged into the deep well, leading to his immediate death. Efforts by locals and emergency teams to save him were unsuccessful. His body was later retrieved and moved to the morgue for an autopsy and further procedures.

The tragedy has raised concerns over the safety of unprotected boreholes in rural communities, with residents calling for enhanced safety measures to prevent similar accidents.

Meanwhile, in another incident in Nandi County, a night guard was killed and another seriously injured following a violent robbery involving coffee berries at Coffee Land Outgrowers Limited in the Singhor area. Police said the early-morning attack on Wednesday left Japheth Kurgat, 41, dead, while his colleague sustained deep head injuries.

According to staff members who arrived at the facility later in the morning, the store’s doors were found open with bags of coffee beans lying outside. Moments later, the two guards were discovered unconscious in one of the rooms. Kurgat was pronounced dead at the scene, while the injured guard was rushed to hospital, where doctors reported that he was in stable condition.

Investigations are ongoing, with police pledging to track down and arrest the suspects behind the robbery and killing.

Elsewhere, in Rodi, Homa Bay County, police have launched investigations after a shocking discovery of a human arm in a sugarcane plantation in Kogwe village. The limb, severed above the wrist and wrapped in a bag, was found abandoned by residents who later alerted authorities.

Police said markings found on the arm are being examined to determine their authenticity, adding that the identity of the victim and the motive behind the incident remain unknown. The human limb has been moved to the mortuary for forensic analysis as detectives try to piece together what transpired.

In Othaya, Nyeri County, another mysterious death is under probe after a 40-year-old woman was found dead in her bed. The deceased, identified as Bilha Kibira, was discovered unresponsive by her 12-year-old daughter on Tuesday morning. Police said there were blood spots on her pillow, although no visible external injuries were observed at the time.

Family members told police that Kibira had epilepsy, but investigators said a postmortem will be conducted to establish the exact cause of death. Authorities have assured the public that investigations across all incidents will continue until conclusive reports are reached.