A man was stabbed to death after a scuffle over a barmaid turned tragic last Tuesday at Taplotin Trading centre in Belgut sub-county, Kericho.
Witnesses said the deceased identified as 30 year old Edwin Kipngetich was fatally stabbed after picking an argument with a patron at local joint in the wee hours of the night.
Preliminary reports into the incident indicated that two men who were apparently drunk at the time locked horns over the rights of entertaining the bar tender with drinks before a fight broke out.
The Suspect identified as Duncan Kipruto Rotich who had been on a drinking spree at Passion bar and restaurant drew a knife in the thick of the quarrel and stabbed the deceased several times.
Police sources confirmed that the midnight incident started when the two intoxicated revellers picked a quarrel over a barmaid before the argument later escalated into a fight.
Belgut sub-county police commander Phillip Okello said the deceased died on the spot after bleeding profusely from three stab wounds on the neck, chest and groin area after the suspect fled the scene.
He said by the time the police officers arrived at the scene of the incident after distress call was made the deceased had already succumbed to his injuries.
Okello however confirmed that the officers working on tip off trailed the fleeing suspect and smoked him out of his hideout within the trading centre where he was arrested still wearing blood stained clothes.
It emerged that the suspect who at the time of the arrest had sobered up was waiting for fresh clothing to make good his escape when the police hot on his trail caught up with.
Okello blamed the incident on alcoholism adding that the suspect will be arraigned in court to face murder charges after police complete investigations in the matter.
A village elder in the area Mr. Timothy Bett said the tiny trading centre had far too many bars and called for their regulation.
“Here at Taplotin trading centre you find 12 bars and the customers who normally come to drink are mostly school dropouts. We want those licensing them to reduce this number because they are impacting negatively on the lives of the youth in this area,” said Bett.
By Sarah Njagi
