The controversial former Chief Officer of Health at the Baringo County Government has been arraigned at a magistrate court to answer to charges of threatening to kill a staff member at the department.
Appearing before the Kabarnet Senior Principal magistrate Paul Biwott, Dr. Gideon Toromo was charged for threatening to kill contrary to section 223(1) of the penal code.
The charge sheet stated that on the 10th day of November 2020 at around 11:42 am, without lawful excuse, he sent Salome Chelimo a threatening text message through her husband’s phone, Wesley Tomno with the words “tell your wife, I either die or she dies, I have been called names, this time round somebody must go six feet, mbegu mbaya itatolewa.”
The doctor faces a second count where he is accused that on the same day at around 11:50am he threatened Chelimo by texting the county commissioner, Mr Henry Wafula with the words, “I beseech you in the
name of the Almighty God to arrest for me these two ‘Arrors’ Joel Chongwo (a health officer) and Salome, otherwise my trained hit squad boys will kill them before Friday.”
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges saying that he is being accused wrongly.
“I want to tell this honorable court that the charges that have been labelled against me are not true,” he responded on the plea taking.
The prosecution counsel Joseck Abwajo asked the court to grant the accused a higher bond terms citing that it was not the first case he is being charged with at the court.
The magistrate granted the accused a bond of Sh100,000 with one surety of similar amount or a cash bail of Sh30,000.
The next hearing is scheduled for 16th February 2021 and the case will be mentioned again on 29th Jan 2021.
Apart from the victim and the husband, two other witnesses are lined up by the prosecution to testify on the matter.
The doctor who has been embroiled in a tussle with the county government following his transfer to the national government, was charged just a fortnight ago with a similar offence after allegedly threatening and assaulting a payroll staff at the county government.
He was then charged before Kabarnet Resident Magistrate Vienna Amboko with two counts of threatening to kill contrary to section 223(1) of the penal code and assault causing actual bodily harm contrary to section 251 of the penal code.
Advocate Solomon Chepkilot who represented the accused in the first case prayed the court to grant his client reasonable bond terms stating that the officer is working with the county government as a chief officer for health and that he is not a flight risk.
Chepkilot revealed that his client suffers from a pre-existing condition and was still under medication and close supervision of a senior physician in Nakuru.
The advocate also pleaded with the court to consider his client’s age due to the Covid-19 saying that he is in high risk if he’s not granted non-custodial sentence which the prosecution counsel did not oppose.
The medic was out on a cash bail of Sh50, 000 or a bond of Sh70, 000 with one surety of similar amount and is due in court for a mention on January 19 for the first case.
By Laban Kiptoo and Vivian Boswony
