Tragedy struck Samutet village in Kericho County on Thursday after a 19-year-old man hacked three of his relatives to death in a brutal domestic attack.
Police said the suspect, identified as Evans Kiprop, first attacked his 70-year-old aunt inside her house, hacking her with a panga as she went about her daily chores.
On hearing the commotion, Kiprop’s 28-year-old sister-in-law, who was nursing a three-month-old baby, rushed to the scene. She was chased down and killed at a nearby cowshed.
The suspect then returned to the house, where he strangled and fatally attacked his three-year-old niece, who had witnessed the assault on her grandmother.
Kericho County Police Commander James Ng’etich confirmed the killings, saying irate residents descended on the suspect and lynched him before officers could intervene.
“The locals turned on him and stoned him to death. The police could not help in that situation,” Ng’etich said.
The child was rushed to Kericho County Referral Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to police, Kiprop had a criminal history and had previously been convicted and committed to an approved school. The motive behind the killings remains unclear.
The bodies were taken to Kericho County Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.
Residents were left in shock, with authorities noting that similar violent incidents have been on the rise in rural areas, with mental health challenges cited as a possible contributing factor.
