Police hunt for suspect who killed brother’s wife after firewood row

A relative mourns their daughter after she had been killed by her brother-in-law Fredrick Chumba in Shingoto-Shinyalu sub-county. (Duncan Ochola)

Police and villagers are looking for a man suspected of killing his elder brother’s wife after a quarrel over missing firewood.

The incident happened at Ibulila Epang’a village in Shinyalu constituency.

Sheila Lusulu, 28, woke up early to prepare breakfast for her four children but found that her firewood was missing.

Trouble began when she went to her brother-in-law’s house to ask him whether he had taken the firewood.

The man was said to have become violent when his sister-in-law found the firewood in his house.

Lusulu’s mother-in-law, Florence Ngasu, said she rushed to the suspect’s house when she heard screams.

She said she found the man armed with a blood-stained panga and jembe and Lusulu bleeding profusely.

Beldina Lugongo, a relative of Lusulu’s, told The Standard that she met the suspect as he fled the scene. “He shoved me into the mud as he ran,” she said.

Relatives rushed Lusulu to St Elizabeth Mukumu Mission Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Her husband was not at home during the attack.

Shinyalu acting OCPD Joseph Chebii said the suspect was still on the run.

“He is still at large but we have launched a manhunt for him,” he said.