Police have arrested two suspects in connection to the fatal assault of a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier following an altercation at a local bar on Saturday night at Mtaragon trading centre Kipkelion West, Kericho County.

The victim, 32-year-old Ezekiel Bett, who was stationed in Ngong, Nairobi, reportedly got into a dispute with a bar waiter, Caleb Momanyi, at an establishment in Mtaragon. 

According to Kipkelion Sub-County Police Commander Maurice Guddah, the confrontation escalated when Momanyi called his employer, bar owner Oliver Juma, to intervene.

“During the altercation, Juma allegedly struck Bett on the head with a blunt object, causing serious injuries,” Guddah stated.

Bett was initially taken to Kipkelion Sub-County Hospital before being transferred to Kericho County Referral Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Philip Rono, the Kamasian Ward representative, disclosed that Bett and Juma had a history of personal disputes. 

Following the officer’s death, enraged locals burned down the bar and an academy believed to be owned by Juma.

Law enforcement officers, led by area police commander James Ngetich, struggled for over six hours to contain the chaos.

Bett’s body has been moved to Kericho County Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination. 

Meanwhile, both Juma and Momanyi remain in police custody as investigations continue.