Tragedy has struck a family in Burnt Forest area in Uasin Gishu County after their son reportedly committed suicide inside the holding cells of the Eldoret Law Courts.

Police say that Collins Cheruiyot, 24, who was facing charges of breaking into his mother’s bar and stealing beer, took his own life after frantic calls to plead with his mother to withdraw the case fell on deaf ears.

Confirming the incident, Turbo Sub-County Police Commander Patrick Wekesa says the remandee used his sweater and laces of of his pants to hang himself.

Efforts by the court orderlies and other inmates to rescue him were futile, as he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

“We received information that while in a holding cell, where he was alone, he removed the trouser lace and tied it to the window grills. Other inmates realized that something was amiss when the convict went silent and when they went to the cell, they found him jerking on the rope. They removed him and rushed him to MTRH where he was pronounced dead while undergoing resuscitation,” Wekesa told journalists.

The body was taken to the facility’s morgue as police commence on investigations.

Protracted case

After the reported theft incident, the late Cheruiyot was arrested and first took plea on May 27, 2024. At first, he pleaded guilty to the offences before changing his plea to not guilty.

There has been several adjournments, with the suspect constantly pleading with the court to wait for his mother to withdraw the case. All these while, he was in remand at the Eldoret GK Main Prison.

On Wednesday, February 12, Cheruiyot appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Kimani Mukabi, who ordered that the matter be mentioned on March 27, 2025 for further directions.