Elderly man hacked to death in West Pokot
By Faith Macharia, September 4, 2024An elderly man was hacked to death on Monday in a remote village in Pokot Central sub-county, West Pokot county.
Kapelinyang Kasakek Domokwang, 76, is said to have been killed by a Mr Keti Kapel, 27, in unclear circumstances.
According to police reports, the suspect attacked the elderly man at around 4am but his body was only discovered later by his grandchildren when they went to wake him up in the morning.
Horrified, the youngsters immediately alerted their parents, who in turn informed the villagers and called in the police.
Fuelled by anger and grief, the villagers organised a search for the suspect, who was eventually found hiding in a locked room.
Overcome with rage, the mob roughed up Kapel. By the time officers from Lomut Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrived at the scene, Kapel had succumbed to injuries.
The motive behind the killing remains unclear. The officers who visited the scene reported that Domokwang’s body had deep cuts in the head and shoulder, while Kapel had head injury and limp fracture. An axe believed to be the murder weapon was recovered and taken as evidence.
Both bodies were transported to Kapenguria Level Four Hospital morgue, where autopsies will be conducted. The DCI Pokot Central is currently handling the investigation, working to piece together the events that led to this tragic loss of life.