Jilted lover attacks his in-laws in Likuyani

A husband and his wife are nursing injuries at the Likuyani sub-county hospital in Kakamega county after a brutal attack by a relative.

The elderly couple was attacked by a machete wielding son in-law at Khayanga village on Wednesday night.

Daniel Kosgei Kiplagat stormed the couple’s home and unleashed terror without uttering a word.

He was waylaid by villagers as he attempted to escape into nearby maize plantation moments after he had hacked Jackson Simatwa Mong’et, 78 and his wife Jane Kiptum with the machete.

After giving the suspect a thorough beating, the angry mob handed him to police officers at Matunda police station where he is being held.

Police believe the suspect’s must have been after his estranged wife, who lives with her parents after dumping him.

“My daughter Mercy Chemaiyo was at home but outside the house when the husband attacked us,” said Mzee Mong’et.

The suspect chopped off his mother in-law’s fingers on both hands and inflicted deep cuts on her head and hands.

Ms Kiptum, who is recuperating at the hospital said she was busy in the kitchen preparing supper oblivious of her son-law presence at the door waiting to strike.

“He pounced on me immediately I stepped out and aimed the machete on my head but ended up chopping my fingers when I shielded myself with my hands,” Kiptum told journalists.

Recounting the ordeal, the victim said she counts herself lucky to be alive today “because my son in-law had intended to kill me with the first strike, thank God I blocked the machete with my hands.”

According to Kiptum, the suspect could have confused her for his wife because “my daughter is my look alike and it is possible she was the main target.”

The suspect didn’t stop there, he matched into the main house where his father in-law was relaxing and attacked the old man.

“I was relaxing in my bed waiting for supper to be served when I heard noise and commotion from outside,” recalled Mzee Mong’et.

After adjusting the volume of his radio, he heard his wife screaming on top of her voice but ran into the suspect as he was rushing to the kitchen to see what had happened.

“I met our son in-law in the sitting room and without uttering a word he pounced on me and managed to inflict deep cuts on my both hands before attempting to escape,” he said.

Villagers searched and recovered a machete and a sharp scalpel from the suspect.

At one moment, the suspect managed to free himself and pounced on his wife but the mob managed to stop him from strangling her according to eyewitness.

Chemaiyo claimed their marriage was not peaceful one for the five years that she lived with the suspect as husband and wife.

“He started selling household goods so that he could buy himself local brew and I could not stand that anymore.”

The mother of two said she opted to quit the marriage after the husband failed to heed advice from elders.

Last Saturday, the suspect is reported to have dumped household items including kitchen utensils, blankets and clothes at the in-law’s home.

The victims want the suspect to be prosecuted for attempted murder following the attack that would leave them with permanent scars.