A Chinese man who threatened to take the life of his Kenyan girlfriend has been freed on bond.
The 36-year-old athlete, was freed by Eldoret Senior Principal Magistrate Onkoba Mogire on a Ksh 50,000 bond and a surety of a similar amount from a Kenyan citizen. The judge also slapped him with tough conditions upon his release.
The Chinese man was arrested earlier in September by sleuths attached to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit ( ATPU) in Eldoret to answer to a disturbing text message he sent the Kenyan girlfriend in September 2022.
In the alleged text message, the athlete bragged about his ability to take the lady's life and get away with it.
The text reportedly read, "Let me tell you, I can kill you and the baby and you will do nothing because the police of Kenya are just stupid. I will give them money and no story about you again."
According to the charge sheet, Yen, who primarily trains in Elgeyo-Marakwet county, sent the text message on May 9, 2022 from an undisclosed location.
As per Magistrate Mogire's conditions, the Chinese man is required to avail himself in court whenever he is directed to do so.
Githinji Kaaria, the investigating officer in the case, requested the court to detain the suspect for longer to facilitate the conclusion of investigations, leading to a heated back and forth with the suspect's lawyers who argued that two weeks was enough time for the prosecutor to build a solid case.
The case will be heard again on October 2, 2024.
This latest incident brought to perspective the worrying trend of femicide that has gripped the country in recent weeks.
Incidents involving athletes have taken centre stage in September, particularly after the passing of Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei at the hands of her disgruntled ex-lover.
Cheptegei, who competed at the Paris Olympics, passed away days after Dickson Ndiema, her Kenyan boyfriend doused her in petrol before setting her ablaze.
