When high school student Kelvin Togoch, 17, sneaked out of his parents’ home in Baringo Central last Thursday with his uncle’s motorcycle, he had no idea he was going to meet his death.
The Form Four student at Kapkirwok Day Secondary School and first-born child of Patrick Kipsoi left home, only for his body to be found rotting in a forest in Kabartonjo, Baringo North, a few days later.
Kelvin Togoch, 17, disappeared last Thursday after sneaking out with a relative’s motorcycle.
Photo credit: Pool
A call from a police station in Uasin Gishu informed the family that their son was murdered "by a bodaboda client" who had lured him to his death.
A man has since confessed that he lured the teenager to Kabartonjo, strangled him, and dumped his body in a forest in Kureshun, Baringo North, before fleeing with the motorcycle.
On Monday, the suspect led police to the scene where the teen's decomposing body was found covered with twigs.
Police officers retrieve the body of a 17-year-old, Kelvin Togoch, on April 22, 2025, a boda boda rider who was murdered and his body dumped in a forest in Kureschun, Baringo North.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation
Police have since linked the suspect to a similar crime in Kitale, and linked him to a motorcycle theft cartel in the Rift Valley and Western region.
He would return home in Sumeiyon village at 2 pm, helping with some chores, before heavy rains began.
His uncle, a boda boda rider, had parked his motorbike at home, and Togoch appears to have taken advantage of the heavy downpour to sneak out on it at some point without his family noticing.
It wasn’t until later that they discovered he was missing with the motorcycle, only to receive a call from police in Chepkanga in Uasin Gishu County informing them about the motorcycle in their possession.
Its number plate had been altered, and it belonged to someone else and not to Togoch, as the family had expected.
Police officers retrieve the body of a 17-year-old, Kelvin Togoch, on April 22, 2025, a boda boda rider who was murdered and his body dumped in a forest in Kureschun, Baringo North.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation
It has since emerged that Togoch had received a call at around 6.30 pm from a purported client in Kabarnet town on the day he was last seen alive.
On Friday, the family learned from police about a suspect who had confessed to luring and killing the minor and dumping his body in a forest, before stealing the motorcycle and riding towards Eldoret, where he was intercepted by police.
“I wondered how my son had travelled to Eldoret without informing me and for what reason, only to learn about his shocking and untimely death,” his father said.
A sandal believed to belong to 17-year-old Kelvin Togoch, found in a forest a few metres from where his decomposing body was found on April 22, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation
Riders in the town said they received reports about a missing student believed to have been lured to his death by a man who posed as a client.
“We launched a search within the town and its outskirts, leading to the discovery,” Alex Kemboi, a motorcyclist in Kabarnet town, said.
Boda boda operators in Kabarnet have raised concerns about their safety, citing the rampant cases of theft of motorcycles.
“Sadly, the minor died in such circumstances, raising concerns about our safety,” Mr Kemboi said.
Baringo County Police Commander Julius Kiragu said a motorcycle theft case was reported at Kabarnet police station on Sunday, and it was linked to a suspect identified as Dan Kimtai, who had been intercepted by police in Chepkanga in Eldoret.
It was during his interrogation on Monday that he confessed to killing the minor and stealing the motorcycle.
“The suspect is in our custody at Kabarnet, and we will arraign him in court to answer charges of murder. We fear he could be working with a cartel. We urge members of the public who have lost their motorcycles to come forward to aid in investigations,” the county police boss said.
