Four Narok women arrested after death of alleged husband batterer

The couple had a history of violence. [iStock graphic]

"There is nothing like culture in this as they claim. We all operate under the same law. This was a murder which we shall charge them for once we conclude our investigations," he said.

Omare said that the husband was yet to record a statement with the police over the matter and had not reported the alleged occasions when his late wife is said to have battered him to the police.

"We hope he will report his story but regardless of that, we shall still prefer criminal charges on the suspects. Whether they sympathised with the elderly man, murder is a capital offence," he said.

Ololulunga Chief Leseiyo Ntutu said that domestic violence between the couple was not new and had been handled locally with both parties being victims of each other's violence at different times.

"I started handling their case in 2018 and 2020 when the wife would report incidents of her husband beating her. The husband stopped the habit after we sat him down with elders," said Ntutu.

The administrator said that he was shocked in 2021 when the couple reversed their roles in the violence which left the husband with severe injuries.

"The woman started beating the man who today has three major injuries on his head inflicted by the wife. Local women punished her for a recent assault on him which he had not reported," alleged Chief Ntutu.

Chief Ntutu explained that the punishment was part of the Maa culture which had, however, never gone to the extreme edge where the suspects have found themselves in.

"It is common for women to whip their fellow women who are found to be in breach of certain Maasai cultures (sic). This was an isolated incident where the woman is now dead," said Ntutu.