The lawyer representing David Siloba Achala, the man who allegedly murdered his girlfriend before burning her body in Eldoret asked a court on Wednesday to defer plea taking for his client to have him undergo a psychiatric examination.
Nyairo said Siloba was living with a psychiatric ailment for some time.
“He was diagnosed to have a psychiatric ailment in 2011 and he has been on treatment though he has not taken his drugs for some time,” Nyairo said.
Siloba was arrested last week after he allegedly hacked his Fiona Kisuyato to death at their house in Kapsoya Estate.
Justice Stephen Githinji ordered that Siloba be taken for medical examination and he be treated for wounds on his body.
He directed that the matter be mentioned on March 14.
On the material day, Siloba allegedly called a neighbour to help him dump the body.
Aaron Kibyiego said Siloba approached him so they could carry the body of 25-year-old Kasuya to a rubbish pit.
“He told me he had killed his wife and wanted help to dump the body,” Kibyiego said.
He said he dashed out of Siloba’s house after he tried to force him to enter the house where the body was.
Kibyiego refused and instead went and reported the matter to the police.
Siloba returned from the US last month and there are claims that he was deported.
Police officers arrested the suspect who had dumped the body and set it on fire. He was standing nearby.
Eldoret East police boss John Owuoth said Siloba must have strangled Fiona and used a panga to cut her body before moving it to the pit.
The body was partly burnt and the officers had a difficult time removing it from the pit. The woman’s throat had been slit and one hand was severed.
Neighbours said the two fought often, sometimes in public.
“They have not had a good relationship because they kept on fighting all over,” one neighbour said.
Recently, Siloba pulled Kasuya’s hair after they quarrelled near Kapsoya centre,” he said.
The woman is yet to be buried. Her friends and relatives were in court.