Six arrested over killing of exam official

• Teacher was shot dead as he delivered materials

Six people suspected to be linked to the murder of an education official in Marakwet West District have been arrested.

They were handed over to the police after a meeting convened by the provincial administration at the scene of the murder.

The arrests came as preliminary investigations indicated that a colleague could have hired the killers to shoot Mr Emmanuel Kipkeino, 46.

He was the Tunyo division acting area education officer and a tutor at a Teachers Advisory Centre. He was killed on Wednesday.

A teacher is being sought, according to Mon-Kibaimwa location chief, Mr Jacob Chebet.

“The motive of the killing will be known after we interview the six suspects being held at the Kapsowar police station,” said local police chief Dido Galgalo.

The six, all of them from Kaparkinam village, are aged between 16 and 24 years.

Their names were adversely mentioned during the meeting attended by villagers, elders, and provincial administration officials at Chesuman area on Thursday.

They were arrested by the public.

Mr Kipkeino was shot as he rode on a motor cycle at Chesuman along the Tot-Chesong’och-Arror road.

He was from the Chesongoch examination distribution centre where he had delivered Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education materials for Tot Division and was heading back to Arror distribution centre to receive and deliver papers to St Benedicts’ Arror and Barsumbat secondary schools.

District education officer Christopher Chebiegon said he could not rule out the possibility of a plot to eliminate the official but said it was up to the police to investigate the killing.

“Mr Kipkeino was to receive his Education degree in November from the Kampala University,” said the DEO, adding that he had been on teaching practice for the past three months.

In a related development, police took back more than 60 head of cattle and goats that had been driven away from Chesuman and Kaparkinam villages by angry Kasui villagers following Mr Kipkeino’s killing.

Mr Galgalo said the livestock was being held at Kipyebo Primary School and would be returned to the owners.

Elsewhere, a man wanted by police for a series of crimes in Webuye town has been arrested.

He was apprehended at night as he tried to break into a house at Nzoia village in Bungoma East District.

Seven other people who were with him escaped but police said they had information about their whereabouts.

A home made gun and several swords and machetes were found at the scene of the crime. Police also found cans of insecticide spray said to be used to blind victims.