Vincent Kiprono, Jamlick Morogit and Kandie’s widow, Rose Chepkemboi, at the High Court in Eldoret /MATHEWS NDANYI
Two men accused of killing former marathon champion Samson Kandie have sought a plea bargain with the state.
State prosecutor Sidi Kirenge told trial judge Justice Reuben Nyakundi that Vincent Kiprono and Jamlick Kiprono, who were charged with the murder alongside Kandie's widow Rose Chepkemboi, have written to the Director of Public Prosecutions indicating their wish to pursue the plea bargain.
They have all denied the charges of killing Kandie on October 2, 2024 at his home in Elgon View Estate in Eldoret.
“The two have written to the ODPP applying to enter into a plea bargain and we request for time to consider the application,” Kirenge said.
A plea bargain means the suspects may plead guilty to the murder charge and get a lesser sentence, or become state witnesses.
The judge set October 16 as the next mention date, when Kirenge will give details and report on progress concerning the plea bargain application.
Already, five witnesses, including Kandie's daughter, have testified in the case. The couple had four children.
Vienna Kandie had testified that their family was torn apart for a long while and that they had never known peace because her parents frequently quarreled and fought over claims of extramarital affairs.
“I always heard them quarreling, with my mother claiming that our father was going outside their marriage with another woman,” Vienna had said, while naming the woman in court.
She said her father always denied the claims and that they had asked their mother to produce evidence of her claims.
At one point, Kandie gave his phone to Chepkemboi and asked her to look for the number of the other woman.
“My mother looked for the number but did not get it. They continued to quarrel and to me I knew my father was innocent,” Vienna said.
On October 1, 2024, after a bitter quarrel, Kandie left home and told Vienna he would not return because he was going “to look for peace which he could not find at his home”.
She pleaded with her father against his plan, but he was adamant.
A day later, she was at her shop which is about a kilometre from their house. It got late so she decided to call her mother so that they could go home together.
“My father was harsh and never wanted me to get home late and that is why I wanted to go home with my mother so that my father does not get angry.”
Chepkemboi arrived at the shop at around 7.40 pm and talked to the landlord, before they walked to their house, arriving at 8pm.
On their way home, Chepkemboi kept insisting that Vienna call her father, which she did, but Kandie did not pick up the calls.
They got home to find Kandie’s car in the compound, but it was dark as no lights had been switched on.
Vienna said she dashed to the house and switched on the lights but Kandie was not in, so she called him again.
After going unanswered for a while, someone else picked the call.
“The man who picked the call told me to look for my father in the toilet and asked me why Kandie had been messing around with his wife,” she said in her testimony, led by prosecutor Kirenge.
Chepkemboi, who was nearby, asked what was going on, but Vienna immediately dashed outside to the toilet, where she found her father.
Kandie had his hands tied, a swollen head and was bleeding from the eyes while writhing in pain.
Vienna said she screamed loudly for help but her mother asked her to “stop making noise for their neighbours”.
Chepkemboi, who is a clinical officer, also asked her daughter not to call anyone because they would take Kandie to hospital using their car.
Kandie was still talking but in pain.
“My mother asked me to bring some water, which I saw her giving to my father as I tried to call a relative who was a nurse to come with an ambulance,” Vienna testified.
They were assisted by two watchmen to carry Kandie to the car and took him to the Top Hill Hospital, where he was rushed to the emergency section.
Vienna claimed her mother “was happy” as medics battled to save the life of the runner.
“I even saw her smiling while making calls and at one time I heard her saying that Kandie had received a thorough beating from God,” Vienna said.
“I was surprised because everyone was sad but she looked happy.”
Vienna said initially, her relationship with her father was bad because Chepkemboi had told them he was bad and had been messing around.
But later, while in secondary school, they made up and had a good relationship until his death.
