POLICE in Mwingi Central subcounty in Kitui county were on Thursday holding a 23-year-old secondary school student for the murder of his elder brother on Wednesday evening.
Subcounty police commander Antony Maina confirmed the arrest of the student after allegedly killing his sibling with one panga blow.
“The young man hit his elder brother with a sharp panga on the left side of the neck, leaving a deep cut and in the process rupturing a blood artery. He passed on minutes later after bleeding profusely,” Maina said.
Police officers visited the scene of the brutal murder in Katothya village on Wednesday evening and collected the body of the slain 25 -year -old man before arresting the alleged assailant.
“The body has been preserved at the Mwingi subdistrict hospital awaiting autopsy as investigations are underway,” the officer said.
Maina said the murder weapon was yet to be found, but he expressed optimism that it would be found as investigators delved into the matter.
“It is an intricate investigation as we have to revisit the scene and gather more evidence. We will also have to record statements from eyewitnesses. We will ask the court to grant us time to hold the suspect until the investigations are concluded,” the subcounty boss chief said.
Maina said it was not clear what caused the violent disagreement between the two brothers but area assistant chief Joseph Mbunge said they fought after their mother’s goat disappeared.
“The violent confrontation started when the elder brother accused the younger of falsely accusing him of stealing their mother's goat. In the process, he punched the younger brother, resulting in a violent fis fightt,” Mbunge said.
He added that as the brawl intensified, the senior of the two disentangled himself and reached out for a wooden plank to use it against his brother. It was at that point that the younger one dashed into the house, picked a panga and hacked him to death.
“By the time I was informed and arrived at the scene, I found the body lying lifeless. He must have died immediately from excessive bleeding because the body was lying in a pool of blood,” the assistant chief said.
