A family in Elgeyo Marakwet County is mourning the death of Faith Cheptoo, a 22-year-old second-year student at Mount Kenya University (MKU), after she was found brutally murdered inside her rental house in Eldoret. The killing has shocked her family, fellow students and residents, with investigators now under pressure to establish exactly what happened and bring the person responsible to justice. 

Who was Faith Cheptoo?

Faith Cheptoo was a 22-year-old university student from Kipyego in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Reports identify her as a second-year education student at Mount Kenya University's Eldoret campus. Her death has therefore been particularly painful to her family because she was still pursuing her education and building her future.

According to reports, Cheptoo was from Kachebugus, Kimowo/Kamokoiwo village in Kapyego Ward, Marakwet East, although some reports have used slightly different descriptions of her home area. 

She was also a young mother. Family members say she had a three-year-old daughter, making the tragedy even more devastating for those who knew her. 

At university, Cheptoo was pursuing education, a career path that would have given her an opportunity to serve future generations as a teacher. Her death has consequently been viewed not only as the loss of a daughter and mother, but also as the premature ending of a young woman's academic and professional ambitions.

 *How her body was discovered* 

According to a report published by Citizen Digital on September 1, 2026, Cheptoo was found dead on August 23, 2026, inside her rental house in Action Estate, Eldoret. She had suffered multiple stab wounds. 

The circumstances surrounding the discovery were particularly disturbing.

Her father, Luka Biwott, had travelled from Elgeyo Marakwet to Eldoret after becoming concerned when his daughter failed to communicate with him as expected. The report says Cheptoo had promised to visit her family, but she did not make the trip and subsequently became unreachable by phone. 

Concerned about his daughter's unexplained silence, her father sought assistance from the police. Together with police officers, he went to the house. The premises were locked, forcing them to gain entry.

Inside, they found the young woman's lifeless body lying on her bed.

The discovery transformed what had initially been concern over a missed visit and unanswered phone calls into a horrifying murder investigation.

Autopsy reveals extent of attack

An autopsy carried out at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) reportedly revealed the severity of the attack.

According to Citizen Digital, the examination established that Cheptoo had been stabbed 11 times. Three of the wounds, around the neck and forehead, were fatal. 

The findings have raised serious questions about the circumstances leading to her death and the events that took place inside the house.

The number and location of the wounds have also intensified calls from her family for a comprehensive investigation. They want detectives to establish what happened before the killing, whether Cheptoo knew her attacker, what led to the confrontation and how the suspect managed to leave the scene.

It is important, however, to distinguish between information established through the investigation and allegations made by relatives. The identity and responsibility of any suspect must ultimately be determined through due process and the courts.

Family points to estranged lover

Cheptoo's family has raised concerns about her estranged lover, with whom she shared her three-year-old daughter.

According to family members quoted in the report, Cheptoo and the man had previously lived together. However, their relationship reportedly became toxic and eventually broke down. Cheptoo subsequently moved out and rented her own apartment. 

Family members believe the former relationship could be relevant to the investigation and have urged detectives to examine it closely.

The man is reportedly the prime suspect, but he remains at large. Police are said to have intensified efforts to locate him. 

At this stage, allegations against an individual should not be treated as proof of guilt. Investigators must establish the evidence, while the courts determine criminal responsibility if charges are eventually brought.

 *Police investigation* 

The killing has placed significant pressure on investigators in Uasin Gishu County.

The family is appealing to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Homicide Bureau to speed up investigations and ensure that the person responsible is arrested and prosecuted.

According to the family's representatives, they want a thorough investigation rather than an unresolved murder case. Among those calling for justice are family representatives Elkana Yanoi and Aunt Lilian Kipchumba, as well as MKU student leader Collins Kosgei. 

The involvement of the university community demonstrates the wider impact of the tragedy. Cheptoo was not only a member of her family but also a student with classmates, friends and colleagues who knew her.

Students have therefore joined the calls for justice, while the family continues to seek answers about the circumstances of her death.

A young mother whose life was cut short

Beyond the murder investigation, Cheptoo's death has left behind a young child.

The fact that she was reportedly the mother of a three-year-old girl adds another painful dimension to the tragedy. The child has lost a mother at a very young age, while Cheptoo's parents and relatives are left to cope with the loss of a young woman who still had many years ahead of her. 

For her family in Elgeyo Marakwet, the journey to Eldoret has now become associated with grief rather than the joy of receiving their daughter home.

Her father had travelled to Eldoret expecting to see his daughter after she had indicated that she would visit the family. Instead, he became the person who discovered that something terrible had happened to her.

That sequence of events has made the tragedy particularly difficult for the family to process.

Concerns over gender-based violence

Cheptoo's death has also emerged amid broader concern about violence against women in Uasin Gishu County.

Citizen Digital reported that three women had died at the hands of romantic partners in less than a fortnight in the county. The cases have renewed concerns about intimate-partner violence and the need for early intervention when relationships become abusive or dangerous. 

Cheptoo's reported decision to leave a relationship that family members described as toxic is particularly significant in this context.

Cases involving intimate partners can be complicated because victims and alleged perpetrators may have previously lived together, shared children or maintained close personal relationships. When such relationships deteriorate, disputes can sometimes escalate into serious violence.

The tragedy therefore raises questions about how individuals experiencing relationship violence can obtain protection and support before situations become fatal.

 *Calls for justice* 

Cheptoo's relatives are now asking authorities to ensure that the investigation does not stall.

Their main demand is straightforward: the person responsible should be identified, arrested, charged where evidence supports prosecution, and brought before a court.

For the family, justice would provide accountability for the loss of a daughter, mother and student.

They are also seeking answers. Investigators will need to establish the circumstances surrounding Cheptoo's final hours, who was in contact with her, whether there were signs of a struggle, who had access to the house and what forensic evidence can be recovered.

Evidence such as fingerprints, DNA, phone records, CCTV footage where available, witness statements and digital communications could potentially assist investigators. The exact evidence available in this case, however, has not been publicly disclosed in full.

MKU community affected

The death has also affected the Mount Kenya University community, particularly students at the Eldoret campus.

MKU describes itself as a multi-campus institution providing degree, diploma and certificate programmes and says its student experience includes academic programmes, sports, student associations, mentorship and other activities. 

The death of a young student under such violent circumstances is naturally distressing to fellow students and university staff.

Student leader Collins Kosgei has been named among those calling for a thorough investigation, demonstrating that the case has attracted attention beyond Cheptoo's immediate family. 

 *What happens next?* 

The immediate priority is the police investigation and location of the suspect identified by the family as the prime suspect.

Authorities will need to build the case through evidence rather than speculation. If a suspect is arrested, investigators will be expected to establish whether available forensic and circumstantial evidence connects that person to the killing.

The suspect will also be entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court.

Meanwhile, Cheptoo's family faces the difficult task of preparing to bury a young woman whose life ended unexpectedly.

Her story is now one of a young student from Elgeyo Marakwet who travelled to Eldoret in pursuit of education and a better future but never got the opportunity to complete her studies.

The bigger message

The killing has once again highlighted the dangers that can arise from violent relationships and the importance of responding to warning signs early.

Where relationships become abusive or threatening, victims, relatives, friends, neighbours and institutions can play an important role in seeking help and reporting threats to relevant authorities.

The case also demonstrates the importance of properly investigating deaths involving suspected intimate-partner violence. Families need answers, while victims deserve justice regardless of their age, social status or background.

For Cheptoo's family, the investigation is not simply another criminal case. It is about finding out why a 22-year-old daughter and mother lost her life and ensuring that her death does not remain unexplained.

As of the latest report available, the prime suspect was still at large, while police were intensifying efforts to locate him. The family continues to appeal for justice and for the DCI Homicide Bureau to move swiftly with the investigation.