Citizen TV reporter says life in danger over story implicating Kericho governor’s bodyguard in murder

A Citizen TV correspondent based in Kericho has recorded a statement with the police following threats to his life over a story he posted on his Facebook page implicating the county governor’s bodyguard and a prison warder in a murder.

The journalist, Martin Kosgey, on January 4, 2022 posted on the social media site that the bodyguard and the warder had beaten two men for stealing the former’s beehives; one of the men later succumbed to his injuries.

Kosgey then filed the report with Citizen TV and the story aired on the same night, as the deceased’s kin sought for justice following the incident.

However, following the report. Kosgey now says his closest friends have warned him of a plot to “deal with him” by the two suspects.

The reporter, who says he filed the story in spite of attempts to cover it up by powers that be, adds that he has received numerous calls alerting him of a hunt since launched for him by the suspects and/or their accomplices.

He reported the matter to the Kericho Police Station on Thursday under OB number 32/6/01/2022.

Kosgey says the suspects are yet to be arrested following the incident, but that they have however been declared armed and dangerous by the police.

According to him, police informed him that they’re on the suspects’ trail, with their last known location suspected to be Bomet where the governor’s bodyguard switched off his phone.

At Brooke Area in Kericho County, the family of 24-year-old Leonard Kipyegon is struggling to come to terms with the death of their kin who met his death on Monday night after he was allegedly beaten by one of their neighbours over claims that he had stolen beehives. 

The deceased said to have been picked up by the neighbour, said to be the governor’s bodyguard, who reportedly attacked him using a hammer.

Emmanuel Kiprotich, who was also beaten alongside the deceased, is currently receiving treatment at the Kericho County Referral hospital, nursing broken limbs.

It is alleged that the two men were called by the main suspect, the bodyguard, who then in the company of another friend, a warder attached to the Kitui Maximum Prison, beat them senseless.

Kericho County Police Commander Silas Gichuge previously told Citizen TV that his officers are looking for the suspects and that he has since urged members of the public to give information of their whereabouts.