| PHOTO: | Shocked relatives of at the scene where Rose Mmboga 68 stabbed her husband several times in the chest killing him on the spot. Photo: BENJAMIN SAKWA/ STANDARD |
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By:
Jackline Inyanji
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| Posted:
Apr,02-2016 15:21:20
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A grandpa's Easter wish for happy holidays turned into a family nightmare after he was stabbed to death by his wife following a quarrel over a plate of githeri.
In an incident that left residents of Ikuywa village in Khayega, Kakamega in shock, Morris Otunga, 79, ate githeri without his wife's permission and paid for it with his life. Rose Mmboga Mihanda did not take kindly to her husband's indulgence on Saturday evening.
Relatives said Mihanda, 68, had been given the meal by a neighbour, which she kept in her hut. She left to fetch water from a nearby river. However, when she came back, she was unhappy to find her husband had eaten the food, leaving just a small portion for her.
A Plate of Githeri, a Kenyan dish out of corn and beans. |
An argument ensued and Mihanda in a fit of rage dashed to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, which she used to attack her husband.
The homestead had bloodstains splattered in several spots, with the plate and githeri strewn at the entrance of the house.
The two had lived together for 11 years after Otunga inherited Mihanda. Silvia Mwerema, a stepdaughter, said she was washing clothes when she heard loud screams coming from her parents' house and rushed in to find out what was happening.
She said her mother was so infuriated that she hurled the plate with the remaining githeri at the door before attacking her husband with a kitchen knife.
"My father told me he had bought Irish potatoes and cabbages and wanted them prepared but mum said there was no flour for preparing ugali and they started quarrelling. She threw the left-over githeri outside and stabbed my father twice on the chest," Mwerema said.
HOSPITAL PLEA
Mwerema recounted how she had tried to convince her mother that they take Otunga to hospital but she declined, saying she was going for a drink before coming back to finish him off. "If only my father was taken to hospital in time, he would have survived but my mother warned me if I took him for medication, I would be responsible for the bill. He bled to death," she narrated amid sobs.
A neighbour, Rose Miyengo, wondered why one would one seek to end the life of someone they love?
"This is a curse. How can a woman one had married for over 10 years kill you because you have eaten her meal? Something must be wrong somewhere and such challenges should be addressed," she said.
According to relatives and neighbours, Otunga inherited Mihanda after the death of her husband. He then moved to the suspect's house 11 years ago after marrying her. According to villagers, she had remarried twice before meeting Otunga.
Ambrose Iteveti, the last-born, had travelled when the incident occurred and learned about the death of his father through a call.
"I am still in shock. What prompted my mother to kill my father? They have been having wrangles every now and then but we never imagined it could lead to death," Iteveti said.
He added: "Last month, my father almost died after my mother poured paraffin on his clothes and tried to set him ablaze but neighbours saved him." Another resident, Michael Shamala, said the suspect and deceased were always quarrelling, especially after drinking binges and frequently exchanged harsh words.
Shinyalu OCPD Joseph Chebii said police are investigating the incident. "The suspect has been arrested and once investigations are complete, she will be arraigned in court. The deceased has been taken to Kakamega County mortuary," Chebii said.
He urged couples to try and solve their marital issues and seek counselling instead of killing one another.
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