Witnesses: Kandie's wife hired men to 'punish' him over infidelity

Witnesses told the High Court in Eldoret that the wife of slain athlete Samson Kandie hired individuals to punish her husband due to suspicions of infidelity.

In the ongoing murder trial, three witnesses told Justice Reuben Nyakundi that Rose Chepkemboi Rotich, Kandie's estranged wife, hired people to confront the deceased, believing he was cheating on her with a commercial sex worker.

They claimed Rotich was desperate to teach the retired athlete a lesson.

The court heard that Rotich, a clinical officer, approached an Eldoret hawker and her former house-help, negotiating with them to arrange an attack on her husband.

Joshua Nyanchae, who was the first to take the witness stand, stated that Rotich, promised the goons a total of Sh200,000 as payment to "discipline" her 53-year-old husband.

Nyanchae testified that Rotich gave her a deposit of 10,000 shillings for the job but later changed her mind and aborted the mission.

“Madam Rotich told me to find people who would discipline her husband. She wanted them to beat him. I informed her that this was a difficult task. We disagreed on the deal, and I kept the down payment. I never communicated with her again until I learned about her husband's murder,” Nyanchae explained.

He also mentioned that he was introduced to Rotich by a fellow hawker, Sheila Malakwen, who had previously worked as Rotich's house help.

Nyanchae was initially arrested as a suspect in the murder before being turned into a state witness.

Another prosecution witness, Felix Kodek, provided similar testimony.

He claimed that Rotich approached him and two other men, including one of the accused, asking them to discipline her husband based on her suspicions of infidelity.

“We met Madam Rotich at a restaurant and bar in Eldoret town, where she bought us drinks as we discussed how to carry out the mission. She later gave us a Sh9,000 deposit, but I eventually chose to withdraw from the mission,” Kodek stated.

Sheila Malakwen also testified, stating that she knew both Rotich and Kandie well from her previous work with them.

She explained that Rotich frequently visited her new workplace in Eldoret town, where she sells chicks, and began expressing concerns about her husband’s alleged extramarital affairs.

“She came to me with allegations about her husband's infidelity, naming a sex worker identified as Millicent. Rotich said her husband became violent and assaulted her whenever she questioned him about the cheating,” Malakwen testified.

She advised Rotich to seek assistance from their pastor and involve family members in resolving their issues.

Malakwen added that Rotich later insisted her husband should be punished, claiming that he was even bringing his mistress to their home in Elgon View estate.

When questioned by the court about threatening messages sent to the deceased from her phone, Malakwen explained that one of the accused borrowed her phone and used it to send threatening messages to Kandie while pretending to be the boyfriend of the suspected commercial sex worker.

“I had introduced one of the accused persons to Madam Rotich. He borrowed my phone and texted the deceased, sending threats while disguising himself as the boyfriend of the sex worker,” Malakwen said.

Additionally, Alex Wanjala, Kandie’s former gardener, testified that his employer had reported receiving messages from an unknown individual who threatened to kill him.

In the trial, three individuals, including Kandie's wife Rotich, her co-accused Jamlick Kiptoon Morogit, and Vincent Kiprono Ngososei, are charged with murder.

The incident occurred on October 4, 2024, at his Elgon View residence on the outskirts of Eldoret City.

Police reports indicated that Kandie's hands and legs were tied, his body severely battered, and his phone was stolen.

More witnesses, including the couple's daughter Vienna Kandie, are expected to testify on June 2.

Kandie is celebrated for winning the Sapporo Marathon in 2002 and the Vienna Marathon in 2004. He also participated in the Berlin Marathon in 1999, where he set his personal best time of 2:08:31.