Homa Bay: 19-year-old woman kills husband over plans to marry second wife

Residents of Miyoro Village in Ndhiwa Sub-county, Homa Bay county, are reeling in shock after a 19-year-old woman stabbed her husband to death over plans to marry a second wife.

The suspect identified as Lucy Anyango surrendered herself to area Assistant Chief Enosh Nyawade to escape the wrath of a mob that was baying for her blood.

Speaking to the media, the administrator said the deceased, Michael Ondiala, had not been on good terms with his wife.

Nyawade revealed that the incident occurred on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 4.

Ondiala succumbed to injuries he sustained after being stabbed in the stomach while being rushed to Ndhiwa Hospital for treatment.

“The suspect stated that their squabbles started after they disagreed on her husband’s plan to marry another lady as a second wife,” Nyawade said.

Anyango said the husband took the woman to their home on Tuesday evening where he insisted that she would be his second wife, a decision the suspect resisted.

The man is said to have beaten the woman badly after the disagreement.

“I had to escape and spend a night at my neighbour’s house as a result of the beating I was subjected to that evening. He beat me again when I went back to wash my clothes and children,” Anyango said.

The mother of two explained that the husband turned wild and the beatings were too much and he ordered her to pack her things and leave, after which she picked a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the stomach.

Killed in self-defence

She added that she did that in defence as she was being strangled and one of her brothers-in-law tried to intervene in vain.

“I had to rush to the sugarcane plantation to escape the mob that was charged towards me,” she explained.

The chief confirmed that the woman had been arrested and taken to Kobodo Police Post after some interrogation.

Preliminary investigations show that Anyango and the deceased had separated for a while before the altercation.

Nyawade said the suspect had left home six months ago when the two had domestic wrangles.

Apparently, the man wanted to marry a second wife because Anyango was on and off in their marriage.

He said that Anyango went back to his husband at the end of last year’s festive season when Ondiala had already made a decision of bringing in another wife.

Homa Bay County Police Commander Samson Ole Kine confirmed the incident saying, the body of the deceased had been taken to Manyatta Kobodo morgue as police continue with investigations.

“We need to seek other ways of conflict resolution instead of killing each other,” Kine said.