Four individuals who visited Kelvin Kiptum’s residence days prior to his unfortunate demise have refuted claims of being unfamiliar to his family.
According to County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) Joshua Chelal, the quartet voluntarily presented themselves to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kaptagat to clarify their involvement.
Among them, Noah Kemboi and Duncan Ruto were identified, while the identities of the other two remain undisclosed.
These individuals recounted being warmly received at Kiptum’s home, engaging in what they described as a productive conversation followed by tea. Chelal disclosed that Samson Cheruiyot, Kiptum’s father, concluded their interaction with a prayer, after which they captured photographs together.
“I personally attended upon advice from our legal counsel, and our interaction was very amicable. We conversed, prayed, and shared tea in what we perceived to be a positive exchange. To my surprise, I later learned through media reports that we were portrayed as strangers,” expressed one of the individuals.
“I even provided my contact information, engaged in conversation, and confirmed my identity while at their residence; the elder gentleman was familiar with our whereabouts. It was disconcerting to subsequently discover through media coverage that I was labeled a stranger. However, I understand this may have been due to the emotional state of the grieving family,” another individual remarked.