A seemingly ordinary disagreement over a hostel disturbance turned into a horrifying tragedy at Laikipia University after a first-year student, Getrude Chepkoech, was brutally murdered by her roommate’s boyfriend.
Chepkoech, who was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English and Literature, lost her life after confronting Ezra Kipkorir Koech over his alleged disruptive behaviour and attempts to force his way into the room she shared with her roommate at Peka Hostels, located just outside the university’s main campus near Nyahururu.
The tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, but its roots stretched back to the previous week when Koech travelled from Nakuru to visit his girlfriend at the student accommodation.
According to accounts from hostel management and local residents, an argument erupted between Koech and his girlfriend during the visit. The woman reportedly raised the alarm, accusing him of forcing his way into their room.
The commotion attracted the attention of neighbours and hostel management, who intervened and ordered him to leave the premises. He was reportedly warned against returning to the hostel after causing the disturbance.
However, the warning did little to deter him.
On the afternoon of September 29, Koech returned to Peka Hostels, allegedly armed with a knife. He was reportedly looking for his girlfriend, who had already left the hostel to sit for her examinations.
Instead of finding his girlfriend, he encountered her roommate, Chepkoech, who was alone inside the room.
What followed was a confrontation that would end in devastating consequences.
According to reports from the local police command and hostel staff, Chepkoech questioned Koech about his previous disruptive visit and challenged his attempt to force his way into the room again.
The confrontation reportedly angered him, with accounts suggesting that he had not forgotten the humiliation of being publicly confronted and expelled from the hostel during his previous visit.
Rather than leaving peacefully, Koech allegedly locked the door, produced the knife and attacked the unsuspecting student.
He stabbed Chepkoech repeatedly, inflicting six deep wounds across her chest, back, head and arms.
Her desperate screams alerted other students and hostel residents, who rushed towards the room to establish what was happening.
When they managed to force their way inside, they were met with a horrifying scene. Chepkoech was lying motionless on the floor, while Koech was reportedly still holding the bloodstained weapon.
The discovery sparked outrage among students and neighbours, who descended on the suspect in anger.
An enraged crowd reportedly attacked Koech, inflicting serious injuries before police officers arrived and rescued him from the scene.
He was subsequently rushed to Nyahururu County Referral Hospital, where he received treatment for severe head injuries sustained during the beating.
Sadly, the tragedy did not end with Chepkoech’s death. Two days later, on October 1, 2021, Koech also succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
His body was booked at the Nyahururu County Referral Hospital mortuary as that of an unidentified adult male as police officers awaited the arrival of his relatives for identification.
Meanwhile, Chepkoech’s body was also taken to the same hospital mortuary as investigations into her brutal killing continued.
The incident left the university community shaken, with the young student’s promising academic journey cut short under heartbreaking circumstances.
What should have been an ordinary afternoon of studying and preparing for examinations turned into a nightmare that claimed two lives.
For Chepkoech, a first-year university student with years of education and opportunities ahead of her, the tragedy represented a devastating end to a promising future.
