Woman, two accomplices arrested over husband's murder

Homa Bay County Referral Hospital, where the body of a 45-year-old man allegedly murdered in Rangwe was taken for a post-mortem. [James Omoro, Standard]

A 42-year-old woman and two others have been arrested for allegedly murdering her husband in Homa Bay County.

The woman identified has been arrested over the murder of her husband, John Nyakundi Okoko, 45.

The incident took place at Kadibuoro Village, Kanyariema location, in Rangwe Sub- County.

It was reported that the woman collaborated with her 24-year-old son and another 36-year-old man who was hired from the village to murder Okoko.

Okoko was reportedly killed on Sunday night. He was reportedly hit with a blunt object when he was sleeping.

A resident who sought anonymity said Okoko was killed in the house. After his death, the body was washed in the bathroom before his clothes were changed.

The assailants then moved his body about 1 km away from home and dumped him in a thicket.

The following day, the woman and her family members went to weed their crops as usual. After leaving her farm, she went and reported the matter at Ndiru Police Station.

The woman reported that her husband had left home to meet someone who would give him rice plants for feeding his livestock. But someone killed him and dumped him in a thicket before he returned home.

In her statement, police discovered that the woman might have participated in the murder.

The police went with her to the scene. Thereafter, police went to her house and found blood in their matrimonial bed and on a wall in the bedroom.

Rangwe Sub- County Police Commander Magdalene Chebet said that, upon interrogation, the woman admitted that she participated in the murder.

“We found evidence of blood in her house. When we interrogated her further, she admitted to have participated in the murder,” Chebet said.

Chebet said they were still going on with further investigations into the incident.

She said the main reason which might have resulted in the murder had not been established.

“We don’t know the reason for the murder. But we are still investigating it,” Chebet added.

By Tuesday morning, all three suspects had been detained at Ndiru Police Station.

The police boss said the suspects will be arraigned in court.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old suspect narrowly escaped death after residents pounced on him with crude weapons. The residents accused him of being accustomed to being hired for murder or other cases of hooliganism.

Police intervened and rescued him ahead of his arrest.

Okoko’s body was moved to Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary for postmortem.