ELDORET, Kenya — The High Court in Eldoret has sentenced Vincent Ngososei to 15 years in prison after he admitted to the manslaughter of former marathon athlete Samson Kandie.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Reuben Nyakundi following a plea bargain agreement between the accused and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
According to prosecutors, Ngososei had initially been charged alongside two other suspects with the murder of Kandie.
However, he entered into a plea agreement with the State, admitting his role in the fatal assault that occurred on the night of October 3, 2024.
In the agreement, the accused told the court he had been instructed by one of his co-accused — the wife of the deceased — to discipline Kandie over allegations of infidelity.
The prosecution, led by State Counsel Sidi Kirenge, presented evidence placing Ngososei at Kandie’s home between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on the night of the incident.
Shortly after the attack, Kandie was found severely injured from the assault. He later succumbed to the injuries.
The case has drawn public attention due to the prominence of the victim in Kenya’s athletics circles.
In a related development, another suspect, Jamleck Morogit, who had also been charged in connection with the killing, entered into a separate plea bargain agreement with the State.
Morogit was convicted of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to six years in prison.
Under the terms of the plea agreements, both Ngososei and Morogit are expected to testify against their co-accused in the ongoing murder trial.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, led by Renson Ingonga, said the outcome reflects the use of plea bargaining as a tool to secure convictions and strengthen evidence against principal suspects in complex criminal cases.
Plea bargaining is provided for under Kenya’s criminal justice framework and is aimed at expediting cases while ensuring accountability where accused persons admit responsibility for lesser offences.
The remaining accused person in the case now faces trial as prosecutors continue to pursue a murder conviction related to Kandie’s death.
