Detectives have arrested the main suspect linked to the murder of a 17-year-old Form Four student in Trans Nzoia County.
In a statement on Sunday, February 1, DCI said the student was killed on the morning of January 30, 2026, in the Mowlem area of Kiptogot location.
“Detectives in Endebess have arrested Mike Wabwire Semera, the prime suspect behind the brutal killing of 17-year-old Rael Cheptoek Kaboi, a Form Four student at Nai Girls Secondary School, which occurred on January 30, 2026, in Mowlem area of Kiptogot location,” the statement read.
According to DCI, officers were alerted by members of the public, prompting an immediate deployment to secure the area and begin forensic documentation.
“The alarm was raised early that morning after residents reported a lifeless body in a nearby farm. Officers from Endebess Police Station rushed to the scene, about 700 metres from Rael’s mother’s home, where they found the teenager’s body bearing clear signs of assault.
“The scene was carefully documented before the body was taken to Kijana Wamalwa Referral Hospital for preservation and impending autopsy as investigations kicked off,” the statement added.
Preliminary findings established the victim’s movements shortly before her death, helping investigators piece together the timeline of events leading up to the discovery.
“Preliminary investigations established that Rael had left home at 5:45 a.m for school, barely a kilometre away. She never made it. Her body was discovered around 6:30 a.m. by fellow pupils heading to class,” the statement continued.
Detectives then launched a pursuit based on intelligence leads, which indicated the suspect had attempted to escape across the border.
The operation involved coordination with regional security agencies, leading to his capture outside Kenya.
“Following intelligence leads, detectives trailed the suspect to the Kenya-Uganda Suam border, where a joint operation with Ugandan authorities led to his arrest after he fled across the border after committing the heinous act,” the statement further read.
Semera has since been escorted back to Kenya and is being held at Endebess Police Station.
He is undergoing processing ahead of arraignment in court, as detectives continue with investigations to establish the motive behind the killing.
