Missing boy, 6, found dead as mother recalls last moments

The body of a six-year-old boy who was reported missing last week has been found next to St. Benedict Kaptich Primary School in Nandi South.

His mother Scholastica Chesang said Dennis Koech failed to return home from school.

Chesang recounted the last moments with her son on the morning of May 7, as she prepared him for school.

According to her, Koech, a Grade One pupil at St. Benedict Kapticch Primary School, was last seen that morning as he went to school two kilometres from their home.

“On Wednesday morning, I prepared and saw him off to school. He was jovial. I could not imagine it was the last time I would see my son alive,” said the tearful mother.

She recalled watching as the son took the footpath through a row of maize crops and eventually disappeared into a sugarcane plantation.

“I silently told myself I would see him in the evening,” she said.

However, at around 4 PM, Chesang noticed, Koech, had not returned home from school, and she was concerned because it was unusual for him to return home late.

“I started inquiring from neighbours when darkness set in. I moved from one homestead to another to try to inquire about Koech's whereabouts from other pupils. No one knew about his whereabouts,” she narrated.

The following morning, Chesang went to the school, and to her shock, Koech’s name was missing from the attendance list.

“We checked the school attendance record, but my son’s name was missing. He did not report to school the previous day, and I decided to make a missing person’s report at the local police station,” she stated.

However, Chesang and other neighbours who had joined a search party realised that the police were reluctant to launch an investigation.

The family and neighbours extended the search to a neighbouring village and made some missing persons’ posts on social media.

“We combed the bushes around the school, and retraced the route he takes to and from the school, without any success,” Chesang recalled.

It was on Saturday, May 10, that a dog located a decomposing body in a thicket some 500 meters from the school.

According to the police report, Koech was positively identified by the family, though some body parts were missing.

His hand had been severed from the body, his eyes gouged out, his fingernails removed, and the torso had deep wounds in the abdomen.

The police moved the body to the local hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Koech’s grandfather, Joseph Kios, alleged that there was a possibility that his grandson was abducted and tortured for the three days before the body was dumped next to the school.

“We suspect the boy was intercepted on his way to school in the morning. He was tortured and killed. Why would anyone do that to a six-year-old boy,” he posed.

Kios demanded that police conduct thorough investigations to establish why the boy was killed and who was behind the killing.

“As a family, we demand justice. Koech was just an innocent child going to school,” he said.

Police recovered his school bag, books and gumboots a short distance from where the body was.

Following the killing, residents held a demonstration, condemning the heinous act and demanding justice for Koech.

One person suspected of being behind the killing was attacked by the angry protestors.
Police acted swiftly and rescued him from being lynched.

Nandi North Police boss Simon Muli said the suspect was taken into custody pending investigations.

“We are interrogating the suspect. At this point, there is a person interested in the case,” Muli said.

He said a post-mortem is scheduled, and the items recovered at the scene will be examined forensically.

Muli urged the residents to remain calm and allow the police to investigate.

“We call upon the residents to remain calm and cooperate with the police to expedite justice to the bereaved family,’ said Muli.