Armed Gang Kills Eldoret Pharmacist After Holding Family Hostage

A pharmacist at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital was shot dead by armed attackers at his home in Eldoret as he confronted intruders who had earlier held his family hostage.

Richard Nyongus Rotich was killed after returning to his residence following a distress call from his children. According to his widow, Valentine Chemjor, the attackers had already forced their way into the house, ordered the family to lie on the floor, and stolen mobile phones before accessing and withdrawing money from their M-Pesa accounts. 

She said she witnessed her husband being shot during the confrontation. Rotich had closed his pharmacy at Sina Centre after learning of the break-in and drove home with his friend, Reverend Mathew Yatich. 

While on the way, they encountered police officers on patrol and reported the incident, but no officers accompanied them. On arrival, the attackers initially claimed to be neighbours before opening fire as they attempted to flee. Rotich was shot in the chest while trying to stop them. 

Yatich escaped unharmed after taking cover. Medical staff at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital later held demonstrations in Eldoret town, calling for improved security. Wearing white coats, the healthcare workers marched through the central business district, demanding swift action from the authorities. 

Japheth Keittany, chair of the local Kudheiha union branch, said the safety of health workers depended on effective police response. Police arrested three suspects in connection with the killing, including a 43-year-old former convict believed to be linked to a criminal network operating across several counties.

Officers recovered an AK-47 rifle suspected to have been used in the shooting, as well as mobile phone records and CCTV footage that are undergoing forensic analysis. The suspects, Titus Wainaina Njoroge, Jeremiah Njuguna Kinyanjui, and Patrick Kinuthia Mwangi, were remanded in custody for 14 days to allow further investigations.

Political leaders criticised the police response and broader security arrangements in the area. Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap accused officers at Ainabkoi Police Station of failing to act after Rotich reportedly alerted them to the invasion. He called for the transfer of all officers at the station and said the family would delay burial plans until responsibility was established. 

Eldama Ravine MP Moses Sirma questioned current bail practices, arguing that they allowed suspects accused of serious crimes to return to the community.

Moiben MP Phyllis Bartoo urged the Interior Ministry to strengthen security measures in Eldoret, while Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Eddy Nyale said authorities would intensify efforts to dismantle criminal groups and address conditions that enable violent crime.