Man strangles, kills three children after domestic differences

Residents of Lelaitich in Chepalungu Friday morning woke up to a horrifying incident after a man strangled to death his three children over differences with his wife.

Neighbours said the 27-year-old used a rope to strangle the children at night before trying to go into bidding.
The man who separated with his wife more than a week ago is said to have gone for the children on Thursday claiming he wanted to  take them back to school only to murder them.

The suspect's mother raised alarm after discovering the lifeless bodies of the three kids lying on bed.
According to Lelaitich Location Chief Robinson Rotich, the mother of the suspect was going to wake the children to prepare for school when she realized they had been killed.

“The grandmother of the three kids raised alarm after realizing that they had been killed prompting a man hunt for the father who had gone into hiding,” said Rotich.
Neighbours who spoke to the Standard said the man has been feuding with his wife frequently.
Cecilia Maritim, one of the neighbours said it was not the first time the couple were separating over their family differences.

Mrs Maritim said the suspect was not happy with a recently born baby which he claimed was not his and had decided to send away his wife.
“Their latest difference has been about a recently born child which the man was claiming was not his and accused the wife of promiscuity,” added Mrs Maritim.

The suspect who is being held by police in Chebunyo Police Station was arrested while trying to flee from irate members of the public who were baying for his blood.
It took the intervention of the area chief to rescue him and whisk him away before handing him over to police.
Shocked relatives said they least expected the suspect to turn against his children over their differences with the wife.

Describing the children as bright and with a promising future, a relative who did not want to be named said the suspect had cut short lives of innocent children who were not privy to their feuds.

"The victims are so innocent and do not even understand what their parents are feuding over. as a family we did not expect that their differences would go to the extent of taking lives of the children," said one of the suspect's brothers.

The incident took locals by surprise bringing to a standstill normal businesses in the neighbourhood who milled around the scene of the incident discussing in ow tones the horrific incident.

Angered, some of them said the suspect should have been lynched for punishing innocent children over feuds with his wife.
"He is very lucky that he was whisked away to police station. he should have been lynched to feel the same pain these innocent kids felt," said Hillary Kirui a neighbour.

The area chief however asked locals to calm down as police conduct investigations after they threatened to storm Chebunyo police to demand the release of the suspect for lynching.