The police department has established identity of a private vehicle, which was abandoned at Kipkarren trading center, on the border between Kakamega and Uasin Gishu counties, on Thursday morning.
Lugari Sub County Criminal Investigations Officer (CIO), Mr. Joseph Katsungu revealed to www.westfm.co.ke security agencies have established the said vehicle, KBY 420X, an Isizu, was involved in robbery and murder incidents in Kitale town on Wednesday night.
“We have since traced and established the Isuzu car was used in robbery with violence and murder incidents near Kitale town on Wednesday night,” disclosed Katsungu, adding the two incidents were booked at Endebess police station in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
According to a Thursday morning police signal, the robbery and murder incidents occurred at Bidii Farm, next to the Kitale National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) at about 9 pm.
“The robbery and murder incidents were separately reported at Endebess police station by a local chief, only identified as a Mr. Onyancha and Mr. Erick Saurei, a local,” said Katsungu.
Saurei, who is an immediate neighbour to the NCPB, claimed to have heard a male’s scream, a few metres from his home compound, before he saw a van speeding off towards Kitale town on the same Wednesday night.
“The following morning he came across the deceased while surveying his maize plantation and immediately reported the incident to Endebess police station, according to the signal,” added Katsungu.
According to Endebess Officer Commanding Police Station (OCS), Mr. Patrick Lumumba, police officers rushed to the scene where they retrieved a murdered body with multiple knife stab wounds around the chest.
“The deceased was correctly identified as Wycliffe Juma, aged 28 years, a taxi driver of the same Toyota saloon that was abandoned in Kipkarren market along the Eldoret – Webuye highway on Thursday,” revealed Katsungu.
It is claimed an unidentified lone person hired the vehicle from Rajan bus stage in Kitale on Wednesday evening.
The nature and details about the robbery incident had not been revealed by time of going to press.
The body was removed to Kitale Referral Hospital Mortuary for postmortem.
Officers towed the abandoned vehicle to Lumakanda police station on Thursday, where it is still lying.
“We are closely working with our counterparts in Trans Nzoia County and we will soon trace and arrest the robbery and murder criminals,” Lugari SCCIO assured members of public.
