This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On Thursday morning, a tragic incident occurred in Bendera area, West Pokot County, where a middle-aged man allegedly killed his wife and two children in a family dispute.
According to neighbours, the suspect, Joseph Lokwang, had been having frequent quarrels with his wife, but the situation took a deadly turn when he woke up to the smell of smoke in one of the rental houses in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
Witnesses claim that Lokwang had stabbed the two children, aged five and three years, before setting the house ablaze. The children were burnt beyond recognition.
One of the neighbours, Everline Cheyech, reported that she heard Lokwang's wife screaming for help, prompting her to alert other neighbours to find out what was happening.
"We found the door locked from inside. We managed to break the door but unfortunately, we could not save the kids because they succumbed to the fire. The wife was still alive when we broke into the house but we couldn’t save her. Lokwang was standing at the door with blood oozing from his neck," Cheyech said.
West Pokot Police Commander Jackson Tumwet confirmed the incident, stating that police officers are investigating what caused the fire and what killed the three.
"The police rushed to the scene and were able to rescue him and his wife with the help of members of the public. Both had multiple stab wounds and burns. Two of their children were burnt beyond recognition," Tumwet said.
