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The High Court in Eldoret has ordered for mental assessment on Jacktone Odhiambo—the primary suspect in the murder of LGBTQ activist Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo alias Chiloba
Odhiambo appeared before the court on Tuesday but did not take a plea.
State counsel David Fedha said the accused had to be taken for assessment before taking the plea.
Odhiambo was represented by his lawyer Mathai Mathai.
The mental assessment will be done at the Moi Referral Hospital
Court ordered that Odhiambo be taken back to court on February 8 to face charges.
Fedha said they had filed documents informing the suspect of the intention to charge him with the offence of murder.
Mathai said they had no objection to the application to have the accused be held for mental assessment.
He, however, said they would insist on having his client's rights under Article 50 maintained.
A lower court had earlier freed four suspects linked to the murder of Chiloba.
The prosecution said it had no evidence to charge the four leading to their release. They have been in custody for 21 days.
Early this month the court granted the DCI 21 days to hold the suspects in order to facilitate the completion of investigations.
Bodybuilder Dennis Litali was freed while three other suspects will report to the police every month for three months.
The court, however, directed that prime suspect Odhiambo should face murder charges at the high court.
Chiloba was found murdered and his body was stashed in a metal box that was dumped at Hurlingham village near Kipkaren on January 3, 2023.
