Eldoret — Two suspects were arraigned in an Eldoret court Monday in connection with the murder of the athlete, Edward Kiplangat, also known as Benjamin.

The two, identified as David Ekhai Lokere also known as Timo, aged 25, and Peter Ushuru Khalumi, aged 30, were presented before Principal Magistrate Kesse Cherono.

The Magistrate granted the police a 21-day detention to complete investigations.

DCI officer Inyasio Mwaniki, attached to Moiben sub-county in Uasin Gishu, informed the court that the investigation into the athlete's murder was still ongoing. He recounted the discovery of the deceased's body, which exhibited stab wounds, leading to the subsequent arrests of the two suspects on January 1, 2024, in Eldoret and Kitale.

Mwaniki outlined several pending tasks, including the yet-to-be-conducted postmortem examination on the deceased and the analysis of critical evidence collected from the suspects, which awaits examination at government laboratories.

He said the cybercrime unit was still in the process of scrutinizing CCTV footage from the crime scene. He said detectives were also yet to retrieve and analyse mobile phone records, vehicle registration numbers, and statements from witnesses who were present at the scene.

Mwaniki expressed concerns regarding the unknown residence of the suspects, highlighting the potential risk of flight if they were to be released.

He emphasized that essential information from the Ugandan embassy pertaining to the deceased's circumstances prior to his demise had yet to be established.

Lawyer George Sonkule, representing the accused, asserted that the suspects are entitled to their freedom as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Sonkule pointed out that the investigations officer had not specified the charges that the accused might face. Consequently, he urged the court to consider releasing them on bail.