Siaya woman killed over Sh1, 500 chama loan wrangles

John Omedo mourns his mother Philister Arega who was allegedly killed by a colleague member of Chama at Asembo Boi Kasabong' in Rarieda Constituency after they went to recover a loan from the deceased. [PHOTO: TITUS MUNALA/STANDARD]

SIAYA: A middle aged woman is cooling her heels in a police cell Siaya after she allegedly killed  a colleague who tried to attach her household goods to recover a Sh1,500 loan she had defaulted.

The killing has left Asembo Boi Kasabong village in Siaya County in shock after members of a women chama clash over Sh1, 500 loan.

The victim, Philister Arega, is a former official of Tin-to-Ler Women Group met her death at the home of Benter Akinyi where she, together with her fellow officials, had gone to auction Akinyi's property.

According to the group chairlady Ester Odero, Akinyi had borrowed Sh2, 000 from the group in April last year, and was to repay the money in one month.

The group was formed under the umbrella of Community Savings and Loaning (Cosalo), an initiative of a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to economically empower women.

The initiative stipulates that each women group to have a membership of between 15 to 30 people.

The members contribute a weekly capital which represents shares.

Once a member has shown commitment to the group, she can be loaned twice her saving and the loan is paid back within one month, with an interest of ten per cent.

According to Tin-to-Ler Women Group officials, Akinyi was to repay her loan by May 2014 but failed, citing various commitments hence presented several pleas to be given 'little more time' for her to get to repay the loan.

The dejected members gave her, together with other loanees, an ultimatum to repay the loans by last December as it was required by the group's constitution to have all the group's income consolidated and members given dividend according to their shares.

Ms Odero however told The Standard that after repaying Sh500, Akinyi became non-cooperative and at one time said she would not pay back the money, prompting the group to throw her out.

"She was not alone. Several other members had loans but we have been reasoning that for us to have the group grow, we need to be committed and repay the loans," said Ms Odero.

However the last one week has been a busy moment for the group officials who have been moving to the loanees to recover the monies which ought to have been repaid by end of last year.

Three other members had their belongings confiscated on Monday and yesterday it was Akinyi's turn.

When Odero led three other officials to Akinyi's home to recover the money at 7.00am, the unexpected ensued. Akinyi responded that she had no money at the moment, but would pay later.

"She (Akinyi) told us that she would repay the money at her own time, even telling us that we could report the matter to police if we were not contented with her answer," said Mary Atieno, another group official.

The officials then reached an agreement to confiscate Akinyi's households, a move which did not go well with the host.

Ms Arega, the deceased, picked a bathing trough at the sitting room, and as she was reaching for the second one, Akinyi pounced on her, wrestling her to the ground as the other officials watched in disbelief.

Akinyi pushed the 55 year old mother of six against the wall where she fell on the back as the other officials ran for their dear lives.

Akinyi then moved out of the house as her husband Samuel Onyango who was in the bedroom still having a nap, came out to rescue the situation.

"I came out and found the woman (Arega) lying on the table and snoring loudly. I thought she had just fainted and we carried her out of the house. As we were performing some first aid on her, we realized she was not breathing and her heartbeat was silent," said Onyango.

Onyango who works in Nandi Hills had come for a short break back home, and was not aware of any loan given to his wife by the group.

Akinyi is now being held at Aram Police Station as investigations into the matter commences. Rarieda OCPD Johana Chebii who visited the scene said the group officials and the accused husband had also been directed to record statements over the incident.

"I would wish to ask the public to avoid taking law into their hands. Had the women sought the help of the area chief to settle the matter, death would have not occurred," said Chebii.