KDF officer testifies against his father in mother's murder case

A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer found himself in a dilemma after being compelled to testify against his father in an Eldoret court.

Twenty-three-year-old Sammy Ndirangu's father, Francis Mwangi Ndirangu, is facing charges for the murder of his wife.

The young armyman told the court how his father, Ndirangu, a businessman, frequently assaulted his mother, often accusing her of being unfaithful.

The victim, 44-year-old Rael Cherop Biwott, worked as an accountant at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).

According to Citizen Digital, Ndirangu told Presiding Judge Emily Ominde that his father, whom he described as violent and abusive, would assault his mother while accusing her of infidelity in their marriage.

The accused, who has since denied the charges, is said to have killed his wife on the night of June 22 and 23, 2024, at Shauri Estate in Eldoret City.

The mother of four was reported missing on June 23, 2024, and her dismembered body parts were later found at multiple locations across Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties on June 24 and 27, 2024.

Court documents indicate that the late Biwott was last seen leaving her workplace on June 22, 2024, around 7 pm in the company of her husband, Francis Mwangi Ndirangu.

Although the accused claimed they took a matatu home, CCTV footage revealed that they had instead left in a Toyota Succeed, a vehicle Ndirangu had rented.

Tragically, Cherop never made it home that ill-fated day.

On June 24, around midday, residents of Kapsilegaa village in Nandi County stumbled upon a gunny bag abandoned by the roadside containing dismembered human remains.

During the day, more body parts, including the victim’s head and upper limbs, were discovered along a roadside in Lamaiywet village, Uasin Gishu County.

It wasn't until 6:40 p.m. that Ndirangu officially reported his wife missing at the Eldoret Central Police Station.

A post-mortem examination carried out at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) confirmed that Biwott sustained severe neck injuries and blunt force trauma to the head.

Meanwhile, the accused remains in custody at Eldoret GK Remand Prison after being denied bond due to security concerns.