Uasin Gishu locals on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, woke up to the news that Tony Chumba alias Barmuriat Muriat, a blogger allied to gubernatorial aspirant Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok had been abducted.
Chumba would later be found dumped near his house in Pioneer estate on the outskirts of Eldoret town with police saying they were probing the motive and individuals behind the incident.
But even as the police investigate the abduction, Amb. Bitok claimed it was executed by individuals known to be goons of his competitor in the governor seat race Jonathan Bii Chelilim.
Bii has since dismissed any involvement in the incident, saying it was stage-managed in an attempt to paint him in a bad light.
Barmuriat Muriat who is admitted to St Luke’s Hospital says he was abducted by 5 people who accoasted him while he was with his friend.
“At around 8.30 pm as I was from drinking tea with a friend who asked me to take him to his house, as we reached Korosio I was attacked by five guys. They took my laptop, beat me up, and later carried me on a motorcycle to Sosiani River near Kipkaren,” the blogger narrated.
“Tulipofika huko. Wakanipiga, wakanitesa wakiitisha password ya laptop na masimu,” he added, loosely translated as, “when we arrived there, they beat me up, tortured me as they demanded laptop and mobile phones password.”
Later, Barmuriat Muriat narrates, the abductors put him in a vehicle that made rounds in Eldoret town before he was dumped near his house at around 2.00 am.
The blogger says he identified one of his abductors as a supporter of one of the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial aspirants.
It was a friend that he was with during the abduction that made a report to the police.
The police are expected to record a statement from Barmuriat Muriat as they continue with the probe.
