A wife inheritor is allegedly on the run after killing his seven-month-old son following a family dispute with his deaf and dumb wife. The man identified only as Ja Kakamega set the toddler on fire at Suna West in Migori where he lived with his mother, 36-year-old Beatrice Awuor.
Area chief John Okombo yesterday said the suspect is yet to be arrested after the Thursday night incident.
Mr Kombo said the suspect was a herdsman from a nearby village and had inherited Ms Awuor, whose late husband was also deaf and dumb. "The man set the child on fire as he slept. His mother, being deaf and dumb could not call for help. Neighbours who saw smoke coming out of the house tried to put out the fire but it was too late," he said.
When The Standard on Sunday visited the home yesterday, we met Awuor's parents in law; 60-year-old Dinah Mwenesi and 80-year-old Samson Nyarugo mourning their grandson.
"Beatrice was married to my late son and together they had four children. My daughter-in-law however got a jakowiny (stranger) with whom they had the deceased boy whom I named after my late son," Ms Mwenesi said.
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Mwenesi suspects that since Ja Kakamega could not build a homestead for Awuor and her children because he is from another land, they had encouraged her to leave him as tradition demands.
It appears that on knowing that he was no longer wanted, Ja Kakamega opted to kill his son.
