Pokot women demonstrate over women battering
Over fifty women from Kongelai Division yesterday held a peaceful demonstration at Kacheliba town over the brutal killing of a 25 years old woman by her in-laws over suspicion of infidelity.
The women carrying placards walked over five kilometers from Kongelai area to Kacheliba police station demanding the arrest of the in-laws.
One of them Mary Rikiriko said the deceased Milka Lorkuda was killed last week on Tuesday by her in-laws after they were directed by her husband who works as a prison warden in Kisumu.
It’s alleged that her husband ordered his two brothers to beat her since she was not faithful.
“The two brothers came late in the evening and found her cooking for the children and they beat started beating her injuring her severely,” she said.
Rikiriko said the two beat the deceased using blunt objects before her children who pleaded to their uncles to stop harming their mother.
“The deceased was tortured from 11. pm till 3. am in the morning where they left her unconscious. The children alerted residents who rushed her to Kacheliba sub county hospital where she was pronounced dead,” she said.
The angry women camped out the police station waiting the area OCPD to address them but he was not present. The commanding officer addressed them over the phone.
Pokot North DCIO Andrew Nyarindo promised them that proper investigations will be carried out and that anybody found to have committed the offence will be arrested and prosecuted.
Nyarindo urged them to maintain peace and continue fighting for their rights since the government was committed to protect their rights.
The sister to the deceased Selina Chepongetoi said she received the news with lot of shock and disbelief as she says the family admitted to have killed her sister.
“Beating somebody to death in this era is a serious crime. They should have send her back to her parents home instead of killing her,” she said.
Chepongetoi asked the government to ensure justice is done by arresting and prosecuting all those involved.
Community Development Facilitator for Action Aid Emily Partany said women from the pastoral communities are facing several abuses especially inflicted on them by their spouses.
“Many are tortured by their spouse since they are regarded as children in most of pastoral communities,” she said.
Partany condemned the killings and urged women from Pastoral community to wake up and fight for their rights.
Partany added that the entire West Pokot county women have been keeping silent over such matters and that it was time gender based violence against women stopped.
They called on all elected leaders, provincial administration and elders to help in protecting women against gender-based violence.
