Vegetable dispute turns fatal: one dead, another jailed after family row

Gavel resting on top of a sound-block.[Courtesy]

On November 1, 2024, Eunice Wangare was in her parents' home in Laikipia, cooking vegetables in the kitchen with her two children and sisters.

Suddenly, her brother Peter Kamau entered the kitchen, demanding that he be allowed to cook his vegetables.

Wangare instructed his brother Kamau to go cook his vegetables at his house.

Rachel Wanjiru narrated that her mother, Lucy Erpon, entered the kitchen and accidentally stepped on Kamau’s vegetables.

Erpon is said to have heard the altercation in the kitchen and learnt from Wangare that Kamau had assaulted her child.

She said that the incident agitated Kamau, who took a piece of firewood and hit the cooking pan that had vegetables.

“Kamau left for his house and returned with a panga, which he used to chase my mother and hit Wangare on the abdomen. As they continued arguing, he hit D.K(Wangare Child) on the neck,” she said.

The skirmishers continued for minutes, then Kamau picked a stone aimed at Wangare, but missed the first time; the second stone hit her head.

Wangare fell and started bleeding on the head.

“My mother screamed, and the neighbours came. Kamau disappeared into the maize plantation, Wangare was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries the next day,” she added.

Erpon said that her son had been terrorizing her and her children, something she reported numerous times to their area chief.

Kamau was arrested and charged before Nyahururu High Court judge Lilian Mutende and denied killing her sister.

In his defense, he alleged that he was hungry and drunk, and he wanted to cook vegetables, but found his sister cooking.

He allegedly decided to leave for his house, but accidentally stepped on the firewood, and some ashes spilled into the food cooking.

He alleged that his sister and her son hit him, prompting him to retaliate by defending himself, admitting to hitting Wangare with a stone.

The court convicted him of manslaughter from the murder charge after pointing out that he never intended to kill.

In the presentencing report, the community opposes Kamau's release, considering him a murderer.

The judge sentenced Kamau to 20 years in jail.