Woman kills husband for squandering land money

By Edwin Cheserek

Most men get away with misusing the family’s fortune, leaving their wives and children in misery.

But a woman has slashed her husband to death for allegedly squandering money meant to buy land.

The 30-year-old mother of three could not stomach her husband’s wastefulness and in a fit of anger she attacked him with an axe.

She later surrendered herself to the police after killing her husband Musa Kipnyama, 35, at Kipstona village in Marakwet East District.

The family is among the 42,000 squatters evicted from Embobut Forest, last year.

They reportedly sold their 20 cows to buy another parcel of land to settle in. Last month, they bought two acres of land at Tenderwa worth Sh200,000. They paid Sh150,000 and agreed to clear the balance this month.

Local joint

The family then sold maize worth 50,000 to settle the balance, and the husband went to Kapcherop centre where they had agreed to meet with the land seller.

"On his way to Kapcherop he switched off his mobile phone, which triggered suspicion in the family," said a neighbour.

A relative said Kipnyama had checked in at a local bar and was later conned by twilight girls.

The wife got wind of what had transpired and when she asked him about the land transaction, he became violent.

"We heard a confrontation in their home and a silence followed later. We thought it was a normal family squabble," said Mr Kipyega Komen, a neighbour.

Marakwet OCPD Philip Opiyo said the woman slashed the deceased with an axe while he slept.

Shocked residents discovered the dead body in a pool of blood and raised the alarm. "We will arraign her in court because this is a serious offence, which requires deterrence," Mr Opiyo said yesterday.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a suspect with an AK47 rifle after residents thwarted his attempt to shoot his boss at a primary school in Marakwet East.

The suspect, a teacher in Boroko, is said to have threatened his head teacher after he took disciplinary action against him.

"The teacher used to absent himself more often and even parents had accused the head teacher of failing to penalise him," said a parent.

He is to have rushed to his house and returned with the gun shooting at random.

Teachers and pupils scampered for safety as he headed to the head teacher’s office.

Marakwet East OCPD Elijah Maina said residents and General Service Unit officers cornered the suspect after he ran out of bullets and arrested him.

"It is sad that people entrusted with the responsibility of moulding the lives of pupils own illegal guns," said Mr Maina.