This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
On October 3, 2019, a 63-year-old woman named Fransisca Ajwang' was found hanging in her bedroom at Nyalenda, Dago Village in Kisumu County. Her family's response to her death was nothing short of shocking.
According to neighbours, the family members flogged her corpse, claiming it was a way to drive away evil spirits. They believed that this would prevent the spirits from resurrecting and harming other family members.
However, sources close to the family revealed that the real reason behind Ajwang's death was a long-standing dispute over a piece of land. The family had been arguing over how to divide the land among the wives of the homestead, with Ajwang' being the second wife in a polygamous family.
Joshua Abiero, Ajwang's stepson, denied any involvement in the land dispute and claimed that the family was in good relationship with the deceased. He also stated that Ajwang' had not shown any signs of distress before her death.
Angeline Achieng, a neighbour, spoke highly of Ajwang' and expressed her shock at the news of her death. Achieng had spoken to Ajwang' the previous day, and the two had discussed various topics.
County police boss Benson Maweu confirmed that the police had recovered part of the suicide note left by Ajwang'. In the note, she wrote that she was happy to leave the earth and rest.
