Man hacked to death over Standard Eight lover

Her face shows the pain she was going through as Katula villagers woke up to news that 20-year-old Eliakim Osano had been killed. [Photo: Denish Ochieng/Standard]

Katula village in Kachieng' sub-location, Kasipul in Homa Bay county was in deep grief after a 20-year-old man was hacked to death after a village night dance, yesterday.

Villagers gathered at a path leading to the deceased's home, metres away from the home of a girl said to be the genesis of the incident.

Eliakim Osano was said to have been waylaid after disagreeing with some men well known to him over who is to be the rightful lover of the Standard Eight girl, who was also at the dance during the said disagreement.

The girl is said to be a pupil at Bongu Primary School in the neighbouring village where the dance was taking place.

The teen was locked in her parents' house by detectives from Oyugis Police Station who are investigating the matter.

The body had one deep cut on the left side of the neck, an indication that he was fatally assaulted by a right handed individual. Rachuonyo South OCPD Patricia Lasio said they are pursuing the suspects who have gone into hiding.

She urged the public to share information about the suspects' whereabouts.

The police withheld the names of the suspects saying the matter is sensitive and subject of investigation.

Area assistant chief Bernard Mugah, who is one-month-old in office, said he received information about the killing from one of his handlers.

"The first person to stumble on the body lying on a pool of blood was a villager, Mzee Emanuel ole Sambek, who raised an alarm and villagers started streaming in, wailing," said the assistant chief, who is yet to take oath of office.

He admitted to having a challenge of combating crime owing to use of drugs and joblessness among the youth in the area.

Osano's father Eliud Odhiambo, mourned the deceased Standard Eight dropout who is the second born in a family of three boys and called for swift justice.