A postmortem exercise on the bodies of two men abducted in Kerio Valley and later executed has revealed the extent of torture they underwent at the hands of suspected law enforcers.
Families of Simon Yego, 45, and Collins Kipyatich, 22, were present on Wednesday during the exercise that left them broken as they looked at the partly mutilated bodies recovered in Rongai, Nakuru, on June 1, 2025.
According to a report by government pathologist Dr Titus Ngulungu, which The Standard has seen, Kipyatich was strangled and physically assaulted by the killers.
“The cause of death was asphyxia caused by manual neck compression. The lungs collapsed. The body had injuries on the head, neck, ears, and chest,” the report read in part.
The report further revealed that Kipyatich’s hands had been chopped off at the wrist, while samples were collected from the body for further toxicological tests.
“He had countless injuries on his body with blood clots as a result of a physical beating. There were marks on the neck which also showed he was strangled with a string,” said David Kuria, a human rights defender present during the exercise.
The postmortem revealed that Yego also suffered the same fate, with indications that he was suffocated.
“The cause of death was asphyxia due to covering pressure to the mouth and nose. He also had his hands chopped off at the wrist,” Dr Ngulungu said in his report.
The report further indicated that the deceased had suffered brain injuries due to blunt trauma to the head, with other injuries distributed to the chest, legs, and back.
“The mouth and nose were deformed. These show that they were tortured for a long time. This was not a beating that happened for just a few minutes,” said Kuria.
Yego and Kipyatich were abducted on the same day in Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet, on May 30, 2025, and their lifeless bodies were found dumped in Kapnyangale Village, their legs tied in ropes.
Benjamin Yego, a brother to the late Simon Yego, described the report as heartbreaking, especially with details that the abductors have been said to be security officers.
“No one should experience this form of torture in a free country, regardless of their offence. The government must own up to this atrocity and those behind the action arrested,” said Benjamin.
According to the family, Yego’s killing came as a shock as he had no known enemies, adding that their findings point to security officers as the perpetrators.
“My brother was an honest driver and was abducted while ferrying passengers from Kapsowar to Tot. He has never been linked to any crime, and this kind of killing is unjustified,” said Benjamin.
The family also indicated that Yego’s vehicle, for which he was still servicing a loan for is yet to be found after its tracking device was disabled.
“The vehicle had been traced to Westlands, then Ruaraka and Kariobangi before it vanished. From Tot, it was commandeered by a person we believe is a security officer, and they should hand it back to the family,” said Benjamin.
Richard Chebet regretted how Kipyatich was killed after being picked up from the hospital where he had gone to seek medical attention.
“He had been sick for several days before his abduction. He was a young family man who had a month-old baby to take care of. We don’t understand what crime he may have been involved in to get this form of treatment,” said Chebet.
According to the family, the police should not deny involvement in the twin killings, adding that how they questioned the deceased persons before executing them tells of their culpability.
“A woman who had been abducted with them and later released told of them being quizzed on the killing of Fr Allois Bett. The vehicle used was an ambulance and they hitched a ride for the woman from another police vehicle. Who else would do this apart from the police themselves?” posed Chebet.
By Ken Gachuhi and Ann Njoroge
