A family in Elgeyo Marakwet County is calling on the government to assist them locate the body of their 23-year-old relative who is suspected to have drowned in a river as she was allegedly being chased by a police officer.
The father to the deceased, Simon Chesire said they have been searching for the body in the swollen river since Thursday when his daughter Gladys Kiptoo is suspected to have drowned.
Chesire said Gladys had woken up as usual on Thursday and was lighting a fire outside their house to make breakfast for the family when three police officers from Ray Farm police station in neighboring Uasin Gishu County pounced on her.
The distraught father said he didn’t understand why they picked on his daughter, who took off as one of the officers chased after her.
Paul Cheruiyot, a neighbor said he hid in a nearby bush when he saw the police and was surprised when he saw the police officer who had run after the woman, coming back alone and immediately joining his colleagues as they left aboard a bodaboda.
Elgeyo Marakwet Woman representative Jane Kiptoo called on Inspector General of police to take action against the officer. She said the woman is suspected to have drowned because the river is swollen and added it was not possible that she had crossed.
Confirming the incident, Keiyo North Deputy County Commissioner Julius Maiyo said they had contacted the Ray Farm police post but were yet to confirm whether the alleged culprit was a police officer.
He, however, said they were given a phone number which they had forwarded to the Department of Criminal Investigation to trace the owner.
He said they had also visited the home and found only firewood with nothing else to show that there was any illegal brewing of liquor taking place.
