Residents of Rurare village in Bungoma County are reeling from shock after one of their own stabbed his fiancée when she backed out of a promise to marry him.
Evans Wanjala, 34, is said to have raided the home of his girlfriend Juliet Makokha, 29, at night and stabbed her in the stomach several times with a kitchen knife. She survived the attack but is in critical condition at a local hospital.
After the gruesome attack, Wanjala then turned on himself, dying by suicide.
Fidelis Mechumo, Wanjala’s brother, said that his brother had been dating Juliet for the past nine months.
He said that the two were engaged after Wanjala divorced his wife. He and his wife had accused each other of having love affairs with other people.
"My brother has been having stress for some time now but did not want to disclose to us what he was going through until he stabbed his lover and took his own life," he said.
“If he had shared what he was going through, as a family we could have counselled him. It’s unfortunate that he died by suicide,” he said.
He appealed to those in relationships to seek proper guidance from the church, elders and family members when handling disputes instead of resorting to violence.
"After my brother fell out with his wife, he concentrated on treating Juliet, who lives five metres from his home, nicely by pampering her with nice things," he said.
“My brother’s wife left him because he was involved with Juliet, who was their neighbour."
Bungoma South police Commander Benjamin Kimwele confirmed the incident, saying that it was uncalled for.
The injured woman, the police boss said, was rushed to Bungoma County Referral Hospital and was admitted in critical condition.
As the world marks 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Bungoma has recorded an increase in domestic violence cases.
