The family of a 22 year old woman who was murdered in cold blood on Tuesday night at Machungwa village in Trans Nzoia County wants those who are behind the act to be arrested and prosecuted for taking her life.
The family said the deceased, Lorine Waswa, was beaten by her neighbours, three men who were accompanied by their mother who is a Chang’aa brewer, alleging she had stolen sh 6,000 from their homestead.
“They came here and found me doing some house chores where they asked that I call her to answer to allegations of theft of money they got after selling a sheep. She later followed them to their homestead,” said the sister in law Ann Wekesa.
The mother of one eventually came out of the house upon which she was descended on with kicks and blows by the three men who were under orders demanding that she gives them the sh 6, 000 that they alleged she had stolen.
“She told them she had not stolen money upon which they started beating her. She later gave conflicting statements saying she gave some money to the father and some to his brother,” said the sister in law.
The team proceeded to his father’s house to conduct a search on his bedding but they did not find the money which prompted them to proceed to her brother’s home to inquire about the cash but he denied knowing.
“I offered to have them take one of my cows in the meantime while we find ways of refunding them but they insisted that they must teach my sister a lesson upon which they took her to their homestead and begun beating her,” said the brother, Boniface Wanjala.
Attempts by villagers to have the matter addressed amicably fell on deaf ears as the three men who were under strict instructions by their mother to finish off the deceased went on beating her with grass slashers and a rubber cane (Nyaunyo).
After realizing that they had killed her, they rushed her to the nearby hospital in an attempt to make it appear like she had died while receiving treatment at the facility but she was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
“The deceased was found to be dead when she arrived here. We then referred to be handled by the police who transferred her body to the Kitale county hospital awaiting a postmortem exercise,” said George Wafula, a nursing officer.
What baffled residents however was a move by the police at Bikeke police post to exonerate the killer family from any wrong doing claiming the death incident occurred as a result of mob justice by the villagers.
“The police are used to receiving money from the woman as protection fee so as not to be arrested for the sale of local brew. After the incident, the police were compromised to cover up the matter making it look like it was mob justice,” said Mr. Patrick Wafula, the girl’s father.
Trans Nzoia county police commander Jacinta Wesonga said
investigations into the matter have been launched promising that justice would be served to the deceased.
“We are getting to the bottom of the matter to ascertain what really transpired to enable us to take legal action against those who will be found to be culpable. We call for patience from all concerned parties,” said Wesonga.