This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
On October 28, 2019, a Kericho court acquitted three suspects in the murder of Rai cement factory manager Chetan Vyas, citing insufficient evidence.
The trio, Osman Noor, Shabdin Ismail, and Yacob Ali, were acquitted by Chief Magistrate George Kimanga after the prosecution failed to link them to the killing.
However, three other suspects, Daniel Ruto, Michael Nicholas Mibei, and Hilary Cheruiyot Kemboi, were charged with robbery with violence.
According to the charge sheet, the three were accused of robbing Chetan Vyas of his mobile phone and five suitcases with assorted items of unknown value on the night of September 22-23 at the Rai Cement Company Limited in Kipsitet area, Sigowet/Soin Sub-county, Kericho County.
The charge sheet further alleged that the accused used physical violence, which caused the death of Chetan Vyas.
One of the suspects, Nicholas Michael Mibei, was also charged with handling stolen goods contrary to section 322(1)(2) of the Penal Code.
They denied all the charges and were detained pending a ruling on their bail application.
