Baringo woman hacked to death by ex-husband for ‘moving on’
Mercy Chirchir was hacked to death by her ex-husband in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County after 'moving on' and getting another partner.
What you need to know:
- The woman’s family is now calling for justice, demanding the arrest of the man who is on the run.
- The body was moved to Eldama Ravine Sub-County Hospital awaiting autopsy, while the suspect is still at large.
A 32-year-old woman was hacked to death by her ex-husband in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County after 'moving on' and getting another partner.
Police are hunting for the man who has since gone into hiding. Mercy Chirchir’s mutilated body was found lying in a pool of blood, not far from her new lover’s house. Police recovered a blood-stained machete at the scene, believed to have been used in her grisly murder.
Ms Chirchir’s family says the mother of one separated from her husband six months ago and returned to her parents’ home, before getting into a new relationship.
Preliminary investigations indicate she had been trailed and accosted by her ex-husband, who hacked her to death within the compound where she resided with her new man.
According to Eldama Ravine Sub-County Police Commander Joel Chepkwony, tenants of rental houses within the compound at Tolmo shopping center stumbled on the deceased’s body, which had serious head injuries suspected to have been inflicted by a sharp object.
“We received reports by the area chief that there was a known female body at Tolmo village suspected to have been murdered by a former husband. Police officers from Eldama Ravine and officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) visited the scene and found the lifeless body,” said Mr Chepkwony.
He said preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased had separated from her husband, who is the main suspect, and had been cohabiting with her new man, which offended the suspect.
The Sub-County police boss said the deceased was last seen on the fateful day heading to the rental houses where she lived with her new boyfriend.
Eldama Ravine Sub-County investigations officer Richard Cheruiyot said police have traced the suspect to Eldoret and are pursuing him to face murder charges.
According to Ms Chirchir's family, she left her parents’ home in Koitebes village, Mogotio Sub-County on March 24, 2025, for her new boyfriend’s house in the neighbouring Tolmo village, approximately two kilometers away, but did not make it to her destination.
According to the deceased’s elder brother Vincent Chirchir, his sister was the victim of domestic violence for the time she lived with her alcoholic ex-husband and had many times sought mediation to solve their problems. Six months ago, however, she had had enough and quit the marriage, citing their irreversible differences.
According to the deceased’s brother, his sister had left with her son, whom the husband picked forcefully not long after.
He confirmed that his sister was dating a new man from her former matrimonial village in Tolmo and had been visiting him occasionally.
On the fateful day, he said, Mercy left her parents’ home in the evening to the said village to Tolmo by foot for her new lover’s place at a rental house within the shopping centre.
He said neighbours who stumbled on the body alerted her boyfriend, who was said to be in the house unaware that she had been murdered.
“We feared that the suspect had been trailing her and was bitter after she moved on,” he said.
The woman’s family is now calling for justice, demanding the arrest of the man who is on the run.
The body was moved to Eldama Ravine Sub-County Hospital awaiting autopsy, while the suspect is still at large.