State rejects plea-bargain for Agnes Tirop murder suspect
By Titus OmindeThe State has rejected a plea bargain request from Ibrahim Rotich who is charged with the brutal killing of star athlete Agnes Tirop, the Eldoret High court had on Wednesday.
Rotich formally requested the plea bargain in May of 2022 through lawyer Allan Ngigi Mbugua.
He argued the process would help him and the victim’s family heal.
The court urged all parties to scrutinize the application before directions are given.
“My client wants to pursue the plea bargain path with the family of his estranged wife to lessen the pain they are going through since her killing occurred last year,” said Mbugua.
Mbugua said the murder trial would cause more pain and anxiety to the family owing to the circumstances under which Tirop died.
“It is our view a plea bargain deal will help expedite the matter for the sake of justice for both parties,” added Mbugua.
Rotich intends to use plea bargaining to seek lesser charges.
However, on Wednesday State Counsel Mark Mogun told the court the Republic is not ready to consent to his application.
“The State is not ready to yield to the application since the Republic is ready to charge him with murder,” he told justice Reuben Nyakundi of Eldoret high court
Richard Warigi representing the deceased family told the court he is not ready to comment on the application since they are yet to be served with the said application.
Justice Nyakundi is expected to give direction on the application after an inter-parties conference slated for December 7.
Rotich denied murdering his wife on November 16, 2021.
He is accused of killing Tirop on October 12, 2021, at Rural estate in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The accused went into hiding after the incident and was arrested in Mombasa two days after the body of Tirop was discovered in her house.
The deceased was one of Kenya’s rising athletes with some of her achievements including winning the 2015 World Cross Country championship title.
She was also a two-time 10,000m world medallist and managed a fourth-placed finish in 5000m race at the Tokyo Olympics.
Her murder came a month after she broke the world women-only record in the 10km race in September 2021.
The state has lined up 13 suspects for the murder trial against Rotich.
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