Detectives in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County, have arrested 18-year-old Ezekiel Nyongesa Barasa over the alleged murder of 84-year-old Florence Khosa, who died while receiving treatment for serious injuries sustained in a brutal attack.
Khosa was admitted to Cheranganyi Nursing Home after the incident but succumbed to her injuries despite efforts by medical staff to save her life.
Police launched a manhunt for Barasa after he allegedly went into hiding following the attack. Detectives said their "painstaking investigations and relentless police operations" eventually led to his arrest.
The suspect was later subjected to an identification parade, where witnesses positively identified him, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
However, detectives say their investigations have uncovered another lead linking Barasa to the alleged killing of an 86-year-old woman in Tongaren, Bungoma County.
Police have not provided further details on the second case as investigations continue.
Preliminary investigations have also established that Barasa may have sexually assaulted Khosa before her death.
"Detectives are now leaving no stone unturned as forensic examinations and other critical lines of investigation are being pursued," the DCI said.
The examinations are expected to help investigators reconstruct the events surrounding the attack and establish the full circumstances of Khosa's death.
The suspect remains in police custody as detectives piece together evidence before presenting him in court.
The DCI urged members of the public with information that could assist the investigation to report it anonymously through its toll-free number or WhatsApp reporting line.
The arrest comes amid continued police efforts to investigate violent crimes against vulnerable members of the community, particularly elderly people.