The killing of 29-year-old Vanice Chepkoech has plunged her family in Sombicho village, Kaitui location, Kericho County, into deep mourning, with her grandmother, Ann Chepkwony, emerging as the family’s lead voice in renewed calls for decisive action against femicide.
Chepkwony, who is also the ODM Kericho County Chairperson, said the family was still struggling to comprehend the violent loss of a young woman allegedly strangled to death by her lover in Eldoret, an incident that ended with the suspect later taking his own life.
“This news has come with a lot of sorrow. We never expected this, especially during the Christmas season. Vanice was my favorite grandchild. I watched her grow from birth, and it is heartbreaking that she has been taken away in such a cruel manner,” said Chepkwony.
Kenya News Agency (KNA) visited the bereaved family as they prepared to lay Vanice to rest, finding a household engulfed in grief and anguish, with relatives offering emotional and often harrowing accounts of her final hours and the troubling circumstances that preceded and surrounded her death.
Chepkwony said the family opted to break their silence and speak publicly in a bid to set the record straight on the events that culminated in the tragedy, noting that the decision was informed by the need to provide an accurate account to discourage speculation that had begun to circulate in the wake of the incident.
“We wanted this to come out so that people can get the true picture of what transpired. There has been a lot of misinformation, and we want the public to rely on the family for the correct details,” said Chepkwony, as she urged young people to exercise caution and maturity in relationships.
“The youth should be more sensitive and should not rush into relationships thinking that it is always a bed of roses. We want our children to come home driving cars, not in caskets,” said Chepkwony.
Vanice’s mother, Gladys Malel, recounted that the last communication concerning her daughter came through a phone call from the suspect on a Monday evening.
“He called me around 9pm and we exchanged greetings. He told me he had wronged my daughter and that she had refused to forgive him. He said they had gone on a road trip to Baringo the previous week and that he had tried to ask for forgiveness but she refused, adding that the devil had won,” said Malel.
She said the suspect informed her that plans were underway for the couple to visit her at home and advised her to let Vanice rest so that discussions could continue the following day.
“I tried calling my daughter at around 10pm but she did not pick the calls. Later, I missed a call from her boyfriend, and when I called my daughter again, she still did not answer. I thought she was asleep and did not imagine anything was wrong,” said Malel.
Her concern deepened the following morning when a relative arrived with disturbing news.
“He asked me if I had heard anything about my daughter and told me she had been taken to hospital and that her breathing was weak. I immediately thought it was a complication from her diabetes, which she had been managing,” said Malel.
As the family travelled to Eldoret, Malel said she sensed tragedy even before receiving official confirmation.
“When we reached Nandi Hills, I felt in my heart that my daughter was no more. I started vomiting and screaming even before anyone told me anything,” said Malel.
Confirmation came while she neared Kapsabet when a friend of Vanice called to offer condolences. “That is when I knew my daughter had died. The caller later told me not to worry about Vanice’s businesses, as they had all been secured,” said Malel.
Vanice’s uncle, Dennis Malel, described the death as a devastating loss to a family that had high hopes for her future.
“We are going through a very sorrowful moment as a family for losing a daughter full of dreams and aspirations. She was strangled to death, allegedly by her lover. She was obedient, focused and hardworking, and we believe greed over her business ventures may have played a role,” said Dennis.
He said the family initially received information on the 15th of this month at around 8pm that Vanice had been injured and rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
“While we were on our way, I received a message saying she was in critical condition and experiencing breathing problems. Later, we were informed that she had been strangled at around 4pm,” said Dennis.
Police officers from Chepkanga Police Station processed the scene and moved the body to the mortuary, after which the family received further distressing news.
“After about three hours, we were informed that the body of Jonah Kipkemoi Yator had also been brought to the mortuary after he committed suicide,” Dennis added.
Following post-mortem procedures, the family transferred Vanice’s body to Siloam Hospital Mortuary in Kericho County.
Chepkwony said the killing had reopened old wounds for the family, noting that Vanice’s father, a former police officer, died during an Al-Shabaab attack.
“This family has endured too much pain. We jointly raised this child with her parents, and now she is gone in a very painful way,” lamented Chepkwony. She called for urgent action to stem the rising cases of gender-based violence.
“Gender-based violence must be stopped. We cannot continue burying our daughters while perpetrators escape justice,” said Chepkwony.
On his part, Dennis Malel echoed the call, noting that Kericho County had recorded at least three similar incidents in recent times.
“I want to call upon the Kenyan government to tighten the laws against femicide and impose tougher penalties on offenders so that this kind of tragedy does not happen,” said Dennis.
As investigations conclude and burial preparations continue, the killing of Vanice Chepkoech adds to the growing national conversation on intimate partner violence and the urgent need for prevention, accountability and protection of women.
By Gilbert Mutai
