- It is not clear what led the man to taking the life of the pupil
- He also attempted to kill the boy's brother who questioned him
Image: FILE
Police in Bungoma are investigating an incident where two people have died in Matulo ward in Webuye West constituency.
Josphat Kwatenge, aged 16, allegedly stabbed 18-year-old Sammy Toroi with a machete at 8 pm on Friday before being attacked by a mob that stoned the suspect to death.
Toroi was rushed to Lugulu Mission Hospital by neighbours and was pronounced dead on arrival.
Toroi was a Class Eight pupil at Lugulu Day Primary School.
It was not clear what led the man to taking the life of the pupil who was his neighbour and well known to him.
Kwatenge is said to have been drunk at the time of the incident. He reportedly attacked the boy immediately he arrived home and was returning a bag he had borrowed from a friend.
Toroi had just come from an educational tour with fellow pupils in Kisumu and was returning a bag he had borrowed to carry his valuables for the trip.
His brother who heard Toroi scream went to the scene and found Kwatenge walking back to his house.
He followed him and asked him why he had killed his younger brother but the man took out his panga and cut him on the chest.
He was also rushed to Lugulu hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
The incident angered neighbours who stormed the house of the man they said was a notorious bang smoker and changaa addict and frog matched him out and lynched him.
Jenipher, his wife, explained that her husband came back at 8pm while drunk and started insulting members of Topa Vunja church in the neighbourhood, calling them pretenders.
“Some of the church members who come from the neighborhood started following him and they quarreled for some time,” she narrated.
Jenipher said Kwatenge took a panga and ordered her not to get out.
“My husband took a panga and got out of our house. He warned us against following or preventing him from doing anything and forced us to stay in the house. The next thing I heard was wails from neighbours saying that my husband has killed Sammy.”
William Khisa, a brother to Kwatenge, told the press that the deceased had been attacking the church since it was founded in 2004.
“My brother has been attacking the church on the grounds that it is misleading society and that they believe in weird things,” he said.
“There was a time he was attacking the church and he broke his leg while fighting with a member of the church.”
The suspect’s uncle Joseph Wafula said Kwatenge had been counseled countless times but there were no signs of change.
Toroi’s father Samson Simiyu amid tears explained that the suspect might have confused him with one of the church members.
He added that the two families do not have any grudge.
Bungoma east OCP Valerina Obore said that police have began a probe into the incident.