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Two men found killed in forest, survivor reveals what happened

Police cordon off a crime scene at Sabor forest in Elgeyo Marakwet where two bodies were found dumped with gunshot wounds. Residents alleged it was an extrajudicial killing. Two people survived with gunshot wounds and were rushed to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. 30-05-2019. PHOTO/KEVIN TUNOI

Bodies of the two men were discovered inside Sabor forest in Keiyo South constituency on Wedneday morning by athletes out for high altitude training.

The two bodies had gunshot wounds to the head and their hands were tied with ropes.

Two other men were found alive with serious gunshot injuries a few metres away.

The four men are believed to have been shot on Wednesday.

Hillary Kemboi, who was among the five athletes who stumbled on the bodies, said about 30 metres from where the bodies of the two men lay, they found another man who had sustained serious gunshot injuries but was still alive.

Kemboi said the athletes called a motorcyclist who rushed the bleeding man to the nearby Kapteren Health Centre.

Later in the afternoon, another survivor of the shooting who identified himself as Kapyatich Rono, was found inside the forest, a few metres from where the two bodies were found.

Before he was rushed to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Rono, who had been shot in the jaw, narrated with difficulty how the four of them were blindfolded, driven to the forest and shot at close range.

Rono claimed he was picked by unknown men at MTRH where he had gone to check on a sick relative on Wednesday, blindfolded and driven away in a vehicle that had several other occupants.

Eight gunshots

“I can’t recall most details of what happened but I remember we were driven around for several hours before they started shooting at us. I heard about eight gunshots before they finally shot me in the jaw and left me for dead. I later pushed myself off the road and hid in the forest before I lost consciousness,” he said.

Residents said the dead men did not come from the area amid fears that there could be more bodies.