The trial of three people linked to the murder of former Kenyan international marathoner Samson Kandie took a new twist when a lawyer representing the victim’s family expressed fear over his life after allegedly receiving phone calls from one of the prime suspects.

Lawyer Jeff Otieno brought to the attention of the packed court that the suspect Jamlick Morogit tried to call him 11 times from the Eldoret GK Remand Prison, where he is detained but he declined the calls.

Incidentally, the wife of the slain marathoner, Rose Chepkemboi Rotich, who was a clinical officer at Baringo County Referral Hospital is among three suspects linked to his killing in October last year.

The murder took place in his house in Elgon View estate on the outskirt of Eldoret City.

The lawyer expressed at how the suspect managed to access a mobile phone that he used to call him, while inside the highly protected correctional facility. He thus asked the Presiding Judge Reuben Nyakundi to order the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers to take up the matter and protect him as he expressed fear over his safety.

Otieno revealed that he came to know the identity of the person pestering him with persistent phone calls on his mobile phone through Truecaller App.

The lawyer expressed concern that the murder suspect knows his mobile phone number adding.

“Your Lordship, one of the prime suspects linked to the killing of former international marathoner has persistently tried to call me while in Eldoret GK Remand Prison, but I refused to answer all the calls.”

In his ruling the judge directed Safaricom to send one of its data analysts to court to help unravel the puzzle surrounding the threatening phone calls.

While terming the issues raised by the lawyer of the victim’s family as serious, the judge noted that the matter should not be taken casually and promised to ensure transparency in the process.

“I will issue summonses to Safaricom to send one of its data analysts to court and I need a report on the matter on August 1, 2025,” Justice Nyakundi directed.

The three suspects who were denied bond by the court have pleaded not guilty.

Kandie was found tortured with his hands and legs tied with a rope behind a toilet in the compound of his house on the fateful October 3, 2024.

 Five witnesses among them the daughter of the slain marathoner Vienna Chepchirchir and an investigating officer have so far testified in the murder trial against the suspects.

Chepchirchir narrated to the court how her parents used to quarrel and fight in their presence over accusations of extra-marital affairs. She shocked the court during the hearing when she claimed that her mother used to accuse their father of cheating on her with a commercial sex workers in Eldoret town.

 “Our mum would engage in vicious quarrels with dad as she accused him of cheating on her, but he denied the accusations and all this drama happened in our presence, in the sitting room,” recounted Chepchirchir.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Ekuwam Sylvester