A somber mood hangs over Kapsinendet village in Konoin, Bomet County. Tragedy struck after a 26-year-old man killed his 22-year-old lover to death before taking his own life.
Police identified the man as Mathew Kipngeno Kirui. The victim was Shaline Chepkoech, a young woman stabbed in the chest within her father’s compound.
According to Shaline’s father, David Tanui, the incident unfolded abruptly. “The young man visited my home and was talking to my daughter in one of the houses.
Suddenly, she came out bleeding and wailing,” he recounted. Efforts to save Shaline were futile. She died on the way to Liten Hospital.
Police searched the house where the stabbing occurred. They recovered Shaline’s blood-stained shoes and mobile phone, but the murder weapon was missing.
Later, Kipngeno’s body was found hanging in a neighboring village, Kapset. Konoin Sub-County Police Commandant David Kandie confirmed the incident. He revealed that investigators are piecing together events to uncover what led to the tragedy.
Read also EAC names Kiswahili, French official languages and elects new leaders
“We suspect a quarrel may have escalated to this unfortunate outcome. Efforts to recover the murder weapon are ongoing,” Kandie said.
Both bodies have been moved to Kapkatet Hospital mortuary as investigations continue.
This shocking incident adds to the rising cases of femicide in the country. Statistics show a worrying trend of violent deaths among women, often at the hands of intimate partners.
Authorities and stakeholders continue to urge for urgent measures to address these tragedies and promote better conflict resolution strategies in relationships.
