BY ROBERT WANYONYI
Bungoma, Kenya: A woman and her three daughters were raped before being murdered in a bizarre incident that shocked residents of Wekelekha village in Bungoma County.
According to a resident, when they woke up, they discovered a trail of blood leading to the woman's house and upon checking, they discovered the four bodies.
And in what pointed to a ritual killing, all the bodies bore strange marks near the throats and the victims seemed to have been killed in a systematic manner and with a purpose.
Bungoma County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed said police will probe the killings and warned criminals that they will be dealt with accordingly.
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"This is horrible and senseless killing. I want to promise all those behind this act that we will not rest until we get them. They have deprived this family of precious lives and our work now will be to look for them relentlessly until they are brought to book”, Mohammed warned.
He appealed for calm among residents.
But Bungoma County Women Representative Reginalda Wanyonyi lamented about the continued spate of senseless killings in the county and the police inability to address the situation.
Residents pointed accusing fingers at a suspect who was released from the Bungoma GK Prison on Tuesday adding that the man had attempted to rape the deceased in December last year but the woman reported the incident to police prompting his arrest.
"Immediately he was released, he was quoted issuing death threats against the woman and her daughters and even on the eve of the killings, he was spotted visiting a friend who is a neighbour to the deceased. We demand for the arrest of the suspect because up to now, he isat large after the murders," said a villager.
Police moved the bodies to Bungoma District Hospital Mortuary.