BY VINCENT MABATUK
ELDORET, KENYA: Three brothers from Barpelo village in Chemolingot are on the run after they allegedly beat their brother to death and buried his body secretly.
The suspects according to local provincial administration were intending to discipline Danson Matongole after he was accused of having a love affair with somebody’s wife but succumbed to injuries inflicted on him last week.
Area assistant chief Nelson Lochama who is alleged to have authorised the punitive punishment commonly known as sita sita was arrested last Friday and locked up at Nginyang police station but was later released on condition that he would pursue the trio and arrest them or carry the burden.
Confirming the incident, Tiaty deputy county commissioner Daniel Kurui said the incident almost went unnoticed after the chief who is said to come from the same family attempted to cover it up by instructing the villagers to bury the body immediately.
Speaking in his office at Chemolingot, Kurui said the local provincial administrator will take full responsibility unless he produced the culprits in 14 days.
“It was very sad but immediately the report reached my office, I ordered for exhumation for the body which is now in Kabarnet District Hospital Mortuary. This is heinous act and those behind it will face full force of the law,” said the commissioner.
According to the Pokot community culture, a man discovered to have a love affair with some ones wife and proven beyond any reasonable doubt is first subjected to a thorough beating upon confession and ordered to pay six goats and six cows to the husband.
If he is a young person without cows or goats, the twelve animals will automatically come from the relatives.
Kurui said that this was the second time the deceased was found guilty and because he had no livestock, his parents had to pay by giving out the required animals but his brothers felt offended and took the action.
Although the suspects are now to face the law, mzee Lokobo Tekit a village elder stated that the three must pay another price called Lapai in which the deceased family is supposed to raid the accused homestead and drive away as many domestic animals as they wish.
