Pregnant wife of KDF soldier stabbed to death

Catherine Ruto was killed by an unknown attacker at Kosachei village in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County. [Courtesy]

The family of a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier at Kosachei village in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, is in mourning after his wife was brutally killed.

Catherine Ruto, the wife of Patrick Ng’etich, was found in her house by her Grade Five and Grade One children who were returning home from school, as she lay in a pool of blood. 

The 29-year-old, who was seven months pregnant with her third child, had multiple stab wounds in the neck and stomach and her eyes had been gouged out.

The police are yet to establish the motive behind her killing or arrest any suspect. 

Catherine was killed while her husband was away in Somalia for the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) peacekeeping mission.

Ng’etich was lost for words when he arrived home on Thursday after being informed of his wife's death.

Neighbours suspect a man, who they claimed to have been from Kabarnet, may have been responsible for Catherine's killing. The man is said to have visited the woman around noon before she was found dead hours later. 

The man arrived with shopping and neighbours said they did not notice when he left the house. The children were in school when the mystery guest arrived.

Neighbours said they were alerted by the wailing of Ng'etich's children who arrived home and found their mother on the floor.  

"We rushed to the house just to find her (Catherine's) lifeless body lying on the floor in her living room," said Vincent Karoney, a neighbour.

He added, "The door was closed at the time the minors arrived. They opened it and found their mother on the floor. The firstborn, a girl, tried waking her. It was after noticing a lot of blood that she started screaming. We initially thought Catherine was giving birth before we realised she was actually dead."

Sugoi Chief David Samoei asked the police to hasten investigations and ensure the assailant is arrested and arraigned as soon as possible.

“We have started investigations and will arrest a suspect soon. The scene of crime officers have already documented the scene and recovered some exhibits and forensic evidence that will help us identify the suspect,” said Uasin Gishu County police boss Ayub Gitonga.