A Uasin Gishu County widow is wailing for justice after her husband was brutally murdered by acquaintances. According to Caroline Cherotich Moi of Kipkenyo, which is outside of Eldoret City, on April 3, 2025, a group of armed men headed by a prominent leader in Uasin Gishu County broke into her home and pulled Philip Moi, who had died, behind it.
Since they were useless, I had put some old documents in bags to be burnt. One of them tossed my spouse into the flames after I saw them setting the papers on fire. In an interview with K24 digital, Cherotich said, “He then picked some grass behind the house and threw it on my husband to fuel the flames.”
She sought treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret, after being beaten during the event.
She claims that when her husband passed away, a second gang of guys broke into her house to force her to leave and stole everything she had.
They then stole her husband’s remains and buried them in Kericho, she continued.
They also picked and sold the trees that my husband and I had planted together. The mother of two adds, “They also sold some of my property with the intention of using the proceeds to pay for burial expenses.”
A postmortem investigation at MTRH revealed that the victim died from burn injuries.
A portion of the postmortem report said, “He was later rushed to MTRH, where he succumbed to the injuries.”
Kimutai Kirui, a human rights advocate with the Centre Against Torture, located in Eldoret, denounced the event and demanded that the widow get justice.
“Land grabbing is the biggest problem we have in Kipkenyo, and local leaders are committing this at the expense of impoverished widows,” Kirui said.
Kirui also chastised the local security forces for their tardiness in looking into the matter and catching the criminals.
“Where is this nation going? How can someone be burnt alive in the middle of the day? Until the woman receives justice, we will not tolerate any kind of cover-up of this murder,” Kirui said.
The police approach was also critiqued by the Eldoret Social Justice Centre.
Benson Akumu said, “It is unacceptable that a grieving wife who reports her husband’s murder is arrested.”
“When he was burnt, why didn’t anybody come to his aid? Why wasn’t an ambulance sent instead of a fire engine?
Akumu gave officials seven days to take action and repeated requests for an independent inquiry by Nairobi-based land fraud teams.
Since then, Cherotich’s home has been destroyed, leaving her and her kids homeless.
“The worst kind of cruelty is this. Where can I get justice? The criminals continue to threaten me and get away with it, so every time I attempt to get help, I’m instructed to bring witnesses,” Cherotich added.
Because she does not have the money for school expenses, her children are now at home.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) received an investigative file and suggested an inquest, according to Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi.
An inquest will identify the cause of death and the perpetrators. Anyone found guilty will be subject to the law, Mwanthi said.
Moi burnt alive in Eldoret, wife seeks justice
