Namanjalala, Trans Nzoia County, Kenya — A profound sense of shock and mourning has descended upon the community of Namanjalala, Kapomboi ward, following the alleged murder of a 65-year-old patriarch by his own son. The victim, Mr Paul Karera (also referred to locally as Mzee Muliro), was tragically killed on the night of Tuesday, October 28th, in an incident authorities have linked to a protracted and bitter land dispute.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Brian Masinde, is alleged to have committed the atrocious act following a fierce conflict over the use of a small parcel of land.
The deceased’s daughter, Ms Esther Nafula, offered a harrowing account of the events preceding the tragedy. She revealed the dispute had intensified after her brother objected to their father grazing his livestock on a section of land designated for vegetables.
“He wanted my father to graze cows on his land,” Ms Nafula stated. “My father did not respond and instead brought the animals to where I live, asked me to look after them, and went to prepare tea. After he left, Brian followed him and killed him inside his house.”
Ms Nafula further disclosed that the conflict between the two had been ongoing since the previous year, with the younger man having reportedly developed a violent and deviant disposition. She lamented: “He had been advised to abandon his pride and violence but he refused, and that has now culminated in the killing of our father.”
Brutality of the Attack
Area village elder, Ms Rose Wamalwa, was among the first responders to the distress call. Upon arriving at the scene, she described a chilling tableau. “When we responded to a distress call, we found the lifeless body of Mzee Muliro on the floor. It seems he was hit on the head using a hammer,” she confirmed, noting the victim had sustained multiple blows from a blunt object.
Ms Wamalwa also revealed a disturbing detail regarding the suspect’s volatile state, asserting that the son had on numerous occasions previously declared his intention to take a life. The Chief of Namanjalala Location, Mr Moses Samburuma, confirmed the suspect is an individual known to struggle with narcotic addiction and is an occasional boda boda (motorbike taxi) rider. He is the son of the deceased’s second wife.
The local administrator confirmed that the suspect had absconded immediately following the commission of the offence. Police officers are now engaged in a serious and urgent manhunt to locate and apprehend the man.
“Investigations are ongoing,” Chief Samburuma stated. “We are asking members of the public to volunteer any information that can lead to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the suspect who is still at large.”
The body of the late Mr Karera has since been removed from the scene and conveyed to the Wamalwa Kijana Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kitale Town, where it awaits preservation and a mandatory post-mortem examination.
