Two high school students testify in Edwin Chiloba murder case

The two, a cousin to the accused person Jackton Odhiambo and his friend, narrated before Eldoret High Court judge Reuben Nyakundi how they helped Odhiambo move a metallic box from his house at Chepkoilel with no hint of what was inside.

According to the two witnesses, the accused person had asked for their help on 3rd January this year to help him relocate from his house where he was staying with his wife and kid.

On that day, his wife is said to have travelled to their rural home in Siaya County for the December holiday.

Odhiambo’s cousin and his friend say the accused told them the metallic box had dirty clothes, alcohol and a puppy’s stool explaining why a bad smell which had filled the house was emanating from the box.

Odhiambo’s brother, Jean Ochieng', 19, testified that on the material day, together with his parents and Odhimbo’s wife and niece had travelled from their upcountry home in Siaya to their home in Huruma.

He said that on reaching Huruma at around 3 pm, he found their cousin (the first witness) at home while his brother (the accused) was outside in the Toyota Fielder car.

 “I found more stuff in our room and the first witness who is our cousin said that Jack was moving in. On the next day, January 4, we went to help Jack move the remaining stuff at his Chepkoilel house. The house was stuffy and my brother told me that a rat had died on his couch,” said Ochieng’.

Chiloba was a fourth-year student at the University of Eldoret, pursuing a degree course in Apparel Fashion and design.

His decomposing body was found stashed in a metal box on the roadside along the Kipkenyo-Kaptinga road within Kapseret sub-County in Uasin Gishu County on January 3.

Police said initial reports indicate that a boda boda rider saw a vehicle dropping a metallic box in the area.

The matter was reported to police officers who upon opening the box, found the decomposing.

A post-mortem conducted by government pathologist Johansen Oduor at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) revealed that Chiloba died of asphyxiation- lack of oxygen.

Twenty more witnesses are expected to testify in the case when the further hearing will come up on August 2 and 3.