Police in Bungoma County are investigating a murder incident in which a 39-year-old man died after allegedly being assaulted during a dispute over destruction of a maize plantation by grazing cattle.
According to the police, the incident occurred on Friday evening. This was when the deceased, identified as Tobias Wekesa Matanda, confronted a neighbour after the suspect’s cows allegedly grazed on his maize farm.
Police said the confrontation escalated into violence at around 7:30pm. The suspect, identified as Kennedy Kapuru, allegedly attacked Tobias using a club, repeatedly hitting him on the head before fleeing the scene.
The injured man was rushed to St. Anthony’s Kibabii Health Centre for treatment. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the injuries on Saturday morning at about 7:00am.
The killing sparked outrage among residents, who reportedly retaliated by setting the suspect’s house on fire, reducing it to ashes. The value of the destroyed property had not been established by the time of filing the report.
Crime Scene Investigation officers from Bungoma South Sub-County visited, processed, and documented the scene as investigations commenced.
The body of the deceased was moved to Bungoma County Referral Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem examination. Police are pursuing the suspect who remains at large.
Elsewhere, police in Kiambu County arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a 41-year-old man following an alleged altercation in Kiambu East Sub-County.
According to the police, the incident was reported on Saturday at around 10:48am. This was after a man informed officers that his brother, identified as Manase Kwendo, had been found unconscious inside a house.
The reportee told police that at about 6:00am he was awakened by knocks on his door by a man, who asked him to check on his brother who had been sleeping in his house.
Upon arriving at the residence, the man found his brother unresponsive, prompting him to report the matter to police.
Police officers also visited the scene. Preliminary investigations established that the deceased had allegedly been involved in an altercation with a known suspect.
Police said the suspect allegedly struck the deceased on the head using a piece of wood, causing fatal injuries.
Crime Scene Investigation officers from Kiambu processed and documented the scene. They also recovered the suspected murder weapon.
The suspect was arrested and is being held pending further investigations.
The body of the deceased was moved to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem examination.
