Shock as suspect in Eldoret women cells found to be a man

There was shock at the chief magistrate’s court in Eldoret on Tuesday after it was revealed that a suspect who had been held in female remand cells was a man.

The suspect identified as Shieys Chepkosgei was on Monday charged with impersonation after he was arrested at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) where he was working as a female nursing student despite not being attached there.

Once charged, he was taken to the Eldoret Women Prison to await further directions by the court as he had been arraigned as a woman.

However, on Tuesday wardens on normal routine check established that the suspect was a man to the surprise of other inmates.

A quick physical examination was carried out before the suspect was referred to undergo further tests to ascertain the gender.

Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa was on Tuesday forced to issue another order directing that the suspect to be detained at the Eldoret West Police Station to pave the way for further medical examination to confirm the gender.

“As I issue this order I even do not know whether the suspect will be detained in male or female cells. I hope the investigating officer will use his wisdom to ensure that the suspect is detained at a right place,” said the magistrate.

Mr Obulutsa was responding to issues raised by the officer in charge of the Eldoret women prison who wanted the court to reverse earlier committal order which had directed the prison to remand the suspect as a male remandee.

In the impersonation case, the court heard that on June 14 at MTRH, with the intention to defraud, the suspect falsely pretended to be female nursing student by the name Pamela Mulupi.

Initially, the chief Magistrate had directed the accused to be detained at the prison until June 24.

Following the return of the inmate to court on allegations of being a male and not a female as earlier on thought, the magistrate ordered police to detain the suspect at Eldoret West Police Station for 10 days pending investigations into the gender issue.

The matter will be mentioned on June 27.