'I was paid by wife to kill him': Man confesses to killing marathoner Kandie

Kenyan Samson Kandie on his way to win the 21st Vienna City Marathon in a time of 2hr 8min 35sec beating the course record by 13 seconds despite a very strong wind, here 16 May 2004. [AFP]

A prime suspect in the murder of marathoner Samson Kandie has confessed to an Eldoret Court to taking part in the crime.

Vincent Kiprono Ngosose told Justice Reuben Nyakundi how he plotted and executed the murder on the night of October 3, last year.

Ngososei said he was at the scene of the murder, as stated by officers from the Criminal Investigations Department in their report.

"From the bottom of my heart, your honour, I can affirm to you that it is true I was involved in the murder of Samson Kandie. Everything contained in the statement that I wrote and signed is the truth and I don't have any comment," Ngososei pleaded.

The suspect implicated the wife of the deceased in the murder and claimed that she is the one who had hired them to punish her husband for allegedly cheating on her.

He further narrated to the court how the wife had called him 22 times on his mobile phone with the intention of planning a mission to teach her estranged husband a lesson.

He admitted that the whole scheme was coordinated and financed by the deceased's wife following a long-standing domestic dispute with her slain husband.

He further revealed that he was introduced to the deceased's wife in Eldoret City by a trader.

However, Ngososei did not disclose to the packed court how much money he was given after accomplishing the mission with his co-accused.

He is charged alongside the deceased's wife, Rose Rotich, and Jamlick Murgit.

The wife of the late athlete is said to have been working as a clinical officer at Kabarnet County Referral Hospital in Baringo County before her arrest and arraignment in court over the murder incident.

The charge against them states that on October 3, 2024, they murdered Kandie at his Elgon View estate in Kesses sub-County, Uasin Gishu county.

The three had denied the charges of killing the athlete and have been spending days and nights waiting for their case at Eldoret GK Remand Prison since they were arrested last year.

Murgit, who was also linked to the murder, was sentenced to six years in prison after entering a plea bargain with the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution.

Eldoret Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Areri handed him a six-year jail term after he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of conspiracy to murder.

This is after his case was reduced from murder to manslaughter, and the matter was referred to the law court for conviction and sentencing by the magistrate.

The case is set for December 15 to allow the court to hear the probation officer's report.