Man murders cousin in cold blood over land dispute

The suspect took a machete and cut the deceased severally killing him on the spot. [Courtesy]

A man was murdered allegedly by his cousin in Kusa village, Rarieda Sub-County on Saturday evening following a land dispute.

The deceased, Kevin Otieno, is said to have been engaged in a protracted dispute with the suspect, identified as Kevin Amo who is still at large.

A relative, who spoke to The Standard, in anonymity that the matter had earlier been addressed by elders on how the land could be shared without creating conflict.

“There was a piece of land that was supposed to be divided among family members but one of my brothers felt that the land was divided unfairly,” said the relative.

North Ramba sub-location assistant chief Maurice Omondi said the conflict between the two escalated on Saturday evening when the suspect took a machete and inflicted deep cuts on his brother.

“The two brothers had been fighting over a piece of land left behind by their father. On Saturday, the suspect took a machete and cut the deceased severally. He died on the spot while his wife was rushed to Lwak Mission Hospital with serious injuries,” said Omondi.

He noted that the suspect on noticing he had killed him went into hiding and a manhunt has already been launched against him.

The weekend incident left the residents of North Ramba sub-location reeling in shock.

“The suspect has gone into hiding. We are pursuing him and he will be arraigned in court once he’s arrested,” said Omondi.

The administrator urged residents to embrace peaceful ways of resolving domestic conflicts instead of resorting to violence.

“I urge members of the public to avoid violence and embrace peaceful ways of settling disputes,” said the administrator.

The body of the deceased was taken to Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.