A woman in Bungoma West stabbed her brother-in law to death on Thursday night after he quarrelled over money with his wife — her sister.
He had refused to give her a share of money she earned for the stonework they did together. She needed the money to buy supper.
Dorcus Mchanga, 28, stabbed David Wamalwa, 35, several times in the chest at about 8pm.
Wamalwa had just arrived home in Tunyo village, Sirisia constituency, from his daily errands. A fierce argument broke out between him and his wife, Carol Wanjala.
Wamalwa, who has six children with his wife, had been staying with Mchanga at her home for two months.
Neighbour Kasim Simiyu said that Wamalwa had sold the construction stones he had worked on with his wife and had not paid her cash for her work.
This led to a furious exchange, he said.
Simiyu said Wamalwa, a jua kali worker, had not left a shilling for his wife for supper.
The wife and her sister had demanded their fair share of the money to buy fish or chicken for supper.
Pius Masiembe, brother of the victim, said David became angry after the two women began to quarrel with him. He slapped both of them and then left the house.
Masiembe said that his sister in-law followed him outside and stabbed him in the chest. She then threw the knife in a pit labrine, he said.
Mchanga tried run away but residents arrested her and handed her over to police, Masiembe said.
“I heard cries when I was at home having supper. When we checked we found my brother writhing in pain, saying ‘this woman has killed me’.”
We rushed him to Sirisia subcounty hospital on a motorbike but he was dead on arrival, his brother said.
Neighbours, relatives and friends thronged the homestead to condone with the family.
They said Mchanga was a notorious woman who had dropped out school even after being tutored by her husband.
Bungoma West OCPD Gladys Rutere said that police have arrested the woman and are holding her in a secure place to keep her safe from a lynch mob.
Mchanga will be arraigned and charged with murder, Rutere said.
She urged couples to find an amicable way of solving disputes.
The body was taken to Bungoma Referral Hospital.
