This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On Tuesday night, a gruesome murder took place in Mundeku village, Shitsitswi sub-location in Butere sub-county, Kakamega County. The victim, 44-year-old Seruya Awiti, was allegedly killed by her husband, 29-year-old Joel Masieyi.
According to Butere sub-county police commander Alexander Makau, the suspect was arrested by police in Ugunja and is being held at Luanda Konyango police post before he is transferred to Butere.
Mr. Makau revealed that police received information about the murder from Shitsitswi sub-location assistant chief Jackline Makotsi, who reported that a woman had been found murdered in her living room. The police then moved to the scene and took the body of the deceased to St Mary's hospital mortuary in Mumias.
Mr. Masieyi's brother-in-law, Amos Keya, said he received a call from his sister, who is married in Ugenya, directing him to check the house of his younger brother, Masieyi, to confirm the condition of his sister-in-law.
Mr. Keya rushed to the house at around 5 am and found the body of his sister-in-law, Seruya Awiti, lying in the sitting room of their house, covered with a chair and some timber. He also reported that several pieces of furniture had been broken in the house, indicating a scuffle on the night of the woman's killing.
Mr. Keya revealed that the pair, who were serial drunkards, had stayed together for the last one year after his brother separated from his first wife. He also stated that they had been leading a quarrelsome life, with the wife escaping to her parents' home numerous times, only to return after a short while.
A neighbor, Susan Naliaka, said the two had spent the previous day moving around together happily. She also revealed that Seruya had told her they were planning to shop for her parents and that she would visit them to give them Christmas gifts on Thursday.
